(ENG) Kobold Press 5a Ed. - Empire of Ghouls (x Livello 1-13)

50 full of Zobeck’s nobles ignore the rats beneath their feet, this plague will continue to spread until our city itself is wracked with the disease of undeath! Beware the black chambers, my friends. Beware the Empire of the Ghouls.” —Halford the Found, Zobeck Doomsayer “Ghouls are a lot like junkyard dogs. They only love you when they’re hungry…” —Professor Gibbik, Kobold Engineer Dread Chambers of the Undercity “No matter what horrible tales you’ve heard of the spell-ravaged magocracies of the Wasted West, or the bloodthirsty fiends of the shifting southern sands, or even the fey-tainted roads of the Shadow Realm… nothing compares to the horror of those lightless regions of the earth under the dominion of Nicoforus the Pale, Emperor of Ghouls. And his dark realms run right beneath our feet, my friends. That’s right! The cartways and catacombs of our fair city are home to a festering legion of unspeakable dread! They thirst for your blood! They hunger for your flesh! And while the ivory towers

51 Chapter Background Strange things are afoot beneath the cobbled streets of Zobeck, and the alleys of the Free City are rampant with rumors most foul. For several weeks, various Zobeck citizens in the neighborhoods south of Crown Square have gone missing, and all signs ruefully point to the inconspicuous kobolds of the nearby Ghetto. By all accounts, the roster of missing persons seems erratic at best; but as the weeks have ambled along, the mounting suspicions of Zobeck’s guildmasters have been galvanized by the disappearance of a few residents of notable (and often ill) repute. The air around Lower Zobeck has since grown thick with speculation, and a dangerous civil unrest festers among the hearts of otherwise law-abiding people. A local blacksmith’s daughter has joined the growing list of missing citizens, and the old ironworker has taken it upon himself to rouse a suitable group of rabble to dispense some mob justice. However, the kobold patrons Heston Straic and his vengeful crowd seek to punish are far from the cause of Zobeck’s troubles. In actuality, a covert shroud of ghoul operatives from nearby Morgau and Doresh has been working in secret from the city’s Cartways to undermine Zobeck’s civility to its own sinister ends. In alliance with a cabal of Red Sisters of Marena (see page 254), the ghouls have not only worked tirelessly to frame the kobolds for their heinous crimes, they’ve been converting clueless Zobeck nobles to their wicked cause. The ghouls are encouraging the nobles to promote antikobold sentiment and increase military support against the Dragon Empire, lessening Zobeck’s military presence on the Morgau border and allowing the Ghoul Imperium’s and Blood Kingdom’s agents to move more freely in the Ironcrags. With this freedom, Radomir Marrowblight, darakhul high priest of Vardesain, plans to send agents in search of a special quarry. Certain influential thrill-seeking citizens, including consul Melancha Vendemic, have unscrupulously promoted these racially-charged aims in exchange for membership to the debaucherous Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies—haplessly unaware of their roles as pawns in the greater ghoulish scheme. From the lightless depths of Zobeck’s cartways and catacombs, the Red Sister Felixia Bael-Sheth and the ghoul assassin Borys Kreul command the spearhead of this mysterious Imperial agenda. Can someone brave Zobeck’s treacherous subterranean sprawl and halt this sanguinary mayhem before it’s too late? Beginning the Chapter: The Desperate Kobold The characters are in Zobeck for one reason or another: they are Zobeck natives, they are in town seeking a new life, they’ve just finished a job protecting a merchant caravan, or similar. Whatever their reasons for being in Zobeck, their capabilities have drawn the attention of the desperate Skirtal, proprietor of the Rampant Roach restaurant. He invites the characters to the Rampant Roach for a meal and to discuss their temporary employment as guards for his nephew. THE RAMPANT ROACH Tucked away in an alley south of Crown Square, the tiny establishment known as the Rampant Roach is an unassuming kobold eatery. The dimly lit tavern is filled with the aroma of spiced, savory meats. When the characters arrive, they’re greeted by Skirtal, an older, orange-scaled kobold, (NG male kobold), who seats them and brings them food and drinks. Skirtal is a kobold who dreams of spreading his joy of traditional kobold cuisine to other humanoids. His concern for others and his love of kobold cuisine often overshadows his business sense. Far too often, he serves meals on credit and forgets to collect later. Meals at the Rampant Roach come served with generous helpings, extra sides, and boisterous explanations of his latest recipe. After the characters are settled at a table with food and drinks, Skirtal gets down to business. He explains his nephew, Brik, has been implicated in the disappearance of a local blacksmith’s daughter named Rozalyn Turnyr. Brik sits in a corner, flanked by two female kobolds. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that the young kobold watches the group with hopeful eyes and notices that the female kobolds stand around him protectively. Skirtal knows his nephew was in the restaurant the night of the girl’s disappearance, but Brik’s tenuous implication has led the young kobold to become a target of suspicion. Skirtal fears for his nephew’s safety and wants to hire the characters to protect Brik until the city’s officials have finished their investigation and absolve Brik.

52 The Rampant Roach serves a modest clientele, and Skirtal can afford to pay the characters only the paltry sum of 15 gp per week to protect his nephew. If the characters appear hesitant, Skirtal promises them free meals for life in a desperate attempt to sway them. If pressed further, he also promises them a wealth in favors from his kobold king, Koto Crag-Claw. After the negotiations are over, Skirtal happily encourages them to eat their fill from the day’s menu (rat and raven pie, mashed radish, and tadpole soup), free of charge. Brik (CG male kobold) joins the group at their table as they eat and eagerly shares his own account of the events surrounding Rozalyn’s disappearance and the information he’s gathered so far from various sources in the neighborhood. Brik tells the characters he lost his heirloom silver dagger while hunting rats in the Cartways five nights ago, and Rozalyn Turnyr went missing the following night. His lost dagger was conveniently found in Rozalyn’s bedchamber along with a broken window and signs of a struggle. As bad luck would have it, Rozalyn’s father, Heston Straic, was the last blacksmith to service the antique blade and identified its owner as Brik. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals Brik is telling the truth to the best of his knowledge and notices the fear in his voice. Brik’s two companions, Skik (CG female kobold with a sisterly attitude toward Brik) and Skak (CN female kobold with a gruff demeanor but genuine, hidden affection for Brik), are also scouts in Skirtal’s loose organization of vermin hunters—known collectively as The Roaches—and corroborate his story to the best of their abilities. If the characters aren’t satisfied with this evidence and decide to do some investigating of their own, see Investigating the Crime on page 59 for details. When the characters have finished their meal and conversation with Brik, Skik, and Skak, Skirtal asks the group to return to the Rampant Roach the next morning for their first day of protecting Brik. BRIK’S TASKS As the youngest employee of the Rampant Roach, Brik must attend to daily tasks given to him by Skirtal while the older kobold rests during the brighter parts of the day. Each task finds Brik leaving the safety of the Rampant Roach during daylight hours, and Skirtal requests the characters protect Brik during these seemingly simple tasks. Skik and Skak fulfill other duties for Skirtal during the day and don’t accompany Brik and the characters on the tasks. Choose an option or roll a d4 to determine which of the following tasks Brik is assigned each day. THE FREE CITY OF ZOBECK This adventure takes place in the Free City of Zobeck in the Midgard campaign setting. It is a city where adventurers, merchants, and scoundrels from all walks of life and all nations intermingle. In Zobeck, wondrous inventions are dreamt and great tales of glory begin—for it is the boiling cauldron in which Midgard’s most potent minds, largest personalities, and most inflated egos are mixed together. If your campaign doesn’t take place in the Midgard campaign setting, this adventure can be easily adapted to fit into any cosmopolitan city in a fantasy setting. The following is an excerpt from the Zobeck Gazetteer to help set the scene for you and your players. Though not required to run this adventure, the Zobeck Gazetteer holds information on the city itself if you or your players want to explore it more in-depth. The map for Zobeck can be found for free online at: https://midgardmap.koboldpress.com/zobeck/ A Visitor’s Guide to Zobeck. It’s said a merchant of the Free City would sell his own mother to slavers for two coppers. That’s false, of course; he’d need at least two gold. Two coppers would only get a kobold a dance with mum. Though Rava the Gear Goddess remains the ticking heart of the Temple District, industry and trade are the city’s soul. Caravans and mule trains clatter and tromp through the city gates day and night. Barges and river-runners keep the dockhands constantly busy. Free City fortunes arise from commerce, whether built on cantonal steel and iron, the spices from distant Khandiria, or stallions of questionable pedigree. But while steel, spices, and steeds have their charms, nothing draws the eye so much as the monthly arrival of the glass merchants. Though many caravans brave the Shadow Road, none of the imitators have a patch on this Zobeck original.

53 Tension in Zobeck. The activities of the Temple of Forbidden Ecstasies and their ghoulish allies have been causing tension between the people of Zobeck and the kobolds. While making his deliveries or pickups, Brik experiences this tension in subtle ways (such as being ignored when speaking to Big Folk) and in not-so-subtle ways (like flagrant anger, cursing, and spitting at the ground as he walks past). Be sure to play up this tension, but no citizen openly attacks Brik unless the characters reciprocate the provocation. Keep in mind, the city of Zobeck doesn’t take kindly to assault (fining the characters) or murder (imprisoning the characters for 2d4 years). A successful DC 13 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check from a non-kobold character should halt any open violence against Brik without harming the citizen. Brik expresses confusion at the tension as merchants who were once friendly are now contemptuous, and he occasionally leans on the characters for assistance when interacting with particularly hostile Big Folk. For characters native to Zobeck, this change in behavior is something that has been happening over the past month and isn’t normal for most Zobeckers. For characters not native to Zobeck, a successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) check recalls Zobeck is a cosmopolitan place with some minor racial tensions but nothing of this caliber. End of the Tasks. Each evening, Skirtal insists the characters stay for dinner and on one such evening, after the characters have protected Brik for at least four days, a stone comes crashing through the window. See the Mob Rules on page 60 for further details. RAT-CATCHING Brik must catch rats for tonight’s dinner menu. This task takes him into the Cartways, ancient and expanded mining tunnels beneath Zobeck that are now most often used for illicit dealings, to hunt giant rats. Skirtal’s recipes require two to four good specimens. Brik leads the characters into the Cartways where they encounter goblins and rats. Use Areas 1 and 2 on the Cartways map on page 54 for these encounters. Goblin Ratcatchers. This encounter uses Area 1 of the Cartways maps, which is a chamber cluttered with debris and outfitted with simple traps. The floor is difficult terrain. Three goblins work together to pull two aggressive giant rats out of rat traps. The goblins attack anyone who attempts to pilfer their delicious rats. The plot of Dread Chambers of the Undercity (along with some elements of the subsequent campaign) explores issues that are quite serious in the real world, such as racism, classism, the ethics that fuel these trends in society, and how all sorts of people react to them. These are harrowing, and often violent, systems of behavior in our society that many people face throughout the course of their daily lives. The discussion and narrative exploration of these issues should be handled with utmost respect and care for your players’ safety and health (mentally and otherwise). Before playing this chapter of the campaign, it’s a good idea to discuss the individual and shared comfort levels of your players with each other. Find out how much discussion of these topics is appreciated at your table (if at all), whether or not these elements contribute to your goals as a gaming group, and modify the narrative to suit your sessions according to the consent of your players. Most groups strive to have fun, no matter what kind of story they’re playing. Keep that in mind, and together you’ll be able to prepare each other for the emotional labor necessary to tell a story involving prejudice with the responsibility it deserves. THE REALITY OF RACISM: ROLEPLAYING REAL-WORLD TENSIONS Rat Traps. These crude goblinoid versions of bear traps litter the chamber’s floor, hidden among the struts and slats of assorted junk and debris. If a character walks across the floor of the room, there is a 50 percent chance it steps on one of the traps. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the traps, and a successful DC 10 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools disables one. Once the traps are detected, a successful DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check allows a character to move about the room and avoid triggering the traps. The traps can also be triggered from a distance by successfully making a ranged attack against the trap (AC 10) or from 5 feet away using a melee weapon with the reach property. When the trap is triggered, it makes a melee attack with a +4 bonus against a random target in the trap’s space (vision is irrelevant to this attack roll). If there are no targets in the

54 area, the trap doesn’t hit anything. A target that is hit takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage and its speed is halved while the trap remains clamped onto the creature. A creature can use its action to make a DC 11 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Each failed check deals 1 piercing damage to the trapped creature. Goblin Lord. The lord of the goblins in this section of the Cartways sits in Area 2, ruling from atop his throne of barrels and furs. The lord of the goblins is a corpulent goblin named Lord Grot, and he has one giant rat pet beside him. LORD GROT Small humanoid (goblinoid), neutral evil ARMOR CLASS 16 (chain shirt, shield) HIT POINTS 27 (5d6 + 10) SPEED 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 8 (–1) 12 (+1) SKILLS Stealth +5 SENSES darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 LANGUAGES Common, Goblin CHALLENGE 1 (200 XP) Brave. Lord Grot has advantage on saving throws against being frightened. Nimble Escape. Lord Grot can take the Disengage or Hide action as a bonus action on each of his turns. ACTIONS Multiattack. Lord Grot makes two attacks with his hand axe. Hand Axe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1 minute, Lord Grot can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that he can see within 30 feet of him makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand him. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if Lord Grot is incapacitated. Treasure. The mismatched containers that comprise Lord Grot’s makeshift throne include an assortment of three 35-gallon barrels and two 18-gallon casks, most of which are empty. One of the casks is full with enough common wine to fill 18 pitchers, and one of the barrels contains Lord Grot’s secret food supply: a dozen chunks of dried meat. Any character who searches this area discovers a mildewed backpack stuffed with an assortment of valuables, including a cracked crystal ball (worth 2 gp), three signet rings (worth 5 gp each), and a purse containing 32 bloodstained gold pieces. DELIVERIES Brik must deliver wrapped lunches to various locals throughout Zobeck. Choose up to two or roll a d4 twice to determine which of the following locals expect deliveries from Brik today. Grease Dwarf. One of Skirtal’s longtime friends is a dwarf mechanic who lives and works in the Gear District. The dwarf fell in love with Skirtal’s rat stew years ago and

55 has a standing weekly order of the dish. Skirtal always includes a small note with the meal about recent goings-on at the Rampant Roach. Hungry Student. A student at the Arcane Collegium in Zobeck’s Collegium District is a kobold a few years Brik’s senior. Missing home, the student has ordered some rat kabobs from the Rampant Roach as a snack before exams. Kingly Tribute. Skirtal pays minor, weekly tribute to a relatively new but powerful kobold king named Koto Crag-Claw. Skirtal sends the king buttered beetle and worm sandwiches weekly in his honor (and in remembrance of some curious history the two share from Crag-Claw’s days as an adventurer). Instead of delivering the meal directly to the king himself, Brik meets with a blue-scaled kobold named Kwarrel in a cramped alley in Lower Zobeck. Retired Roacher. A halfling in Lower Zobeck was a rat catcher for Skirtal when the kobold first opened the Rampant Roach. The halfling was injured a few years ago while hunting rats for Skirtal in the Cartways and has since retired from the rat-catching life. As thanks for the halfling’s years of service, Skirtal sends the retired Roacher a bowl of spider bisque each day. Back Alley Thieves. While completing deliveries throughout Zobeck, there is a 50 percent chance the group is ambushed by two thugs armed with maces and daggers instead of heavy crossbows who work for a local crime boss. The thugs demand payment of at least 5 gp in “taxes” to let the group pass by unharmed. A successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces the thugs to accept 3 gp instead of the full amount, and a successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check convinces the thugs to back down altogether. The thugs are especially nasty to Brik, who they’ll attempt to hold hostage during the altercation. PICKUPS (MUNDANE) Brik must go to the Market District and pick up some ingredients for Skirtal before tonight’s dinner rush. These ingredients include a bushel of various herbs, a basket of peppers, a basket of root vegetables, and four pounds of rabbit meat. While in the market, the characters can hear rumors from those shopping at the stalls or from the merchants themselves. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or Charisma (Persuasion) check hears a rumor. Choose an appropriate rumor or roll on the Rumors in Zobeck table. Alternatively, a character can hear one of the rumors for every 10 minutes spent listening and talking to locals. Pickpockets of Zobeck. While completing pickups in the Market District, there is a 50 percent chance one of the characters is targeted by a commoner pickpocket with Sleight of Hand +4 and Cunning Action (on each of its turns, the commoner can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action). The pickpocket attempts to steal the most valuable item from the targeted character and attempts to flee instead of fighting, if caught in the act. PICKUPS (EXOTIC) Skirtal’s normal supplier of exotic ingredients is out of town, visiting family in Lillefor. The old kobold sends Brik to the Cartways to collect exotic ingredients from a new supplier. The exotic ingredients include a pouch of powdered roach, a bundle of bat tongues, and a jar of carrion beetle saliva. Use Area 3 on the Cartways maps for the alchemist’s underground laboratory. Alchemist’s Laboratory. The rotting corpse of a human lies among the detritus that clutters this room. The human, Grantham, was on his way to deliver a letter when he was slain by his latest experiment, a rotten goreling. His body Rumors in Zobeck d6 Rumor 1 I hear kobolds are catching more than rats these days. I hear they’re catching babes right out of their bloody cribs! The blacksmith’s daughter makes, what, a dozen now? 2 Aye, that Turnyr girl went missing; but it wasn’t a kobold who took her. It’d take a lot more than one kobold with a knife to kidnap the blacksmith’s daughter without so much as a squeal. 3 I’ve heard there’s a secret brothel below the city that caters to an elite clientele with unhealthy appetites. It’s probably just a story, but you never know… 4 I don’t care what they sell down there. There’s not enough gold in Midgard to get me into those Cartways and catacombs. If the kobolds don’t cut your neck, the graverobbers certainly will. 5 I hear the Mharoti have their eye on Magdar, and the kobolds are their spies. I hope the consuls know to rid us of those kobolds before Zobeck becomes the next Illyria! 6 I had a bloke in the shop the other day who smelled like he hadn’t seen soap in decades! He was looking for his uncle or cousin or something, but I didn’t recognize the fella.

56 lies face-first on the ground with his arm extended toward the door. A key, a silvered dagger, and a note addressed to someone named Bartleby are the only objects of value on the body. The key operates the lock on the door to Area 3. Bartleby, This place was well worth the gold it cost to renovate... The lycanthropes north of here are resourceful lads and have already brought me subterranean reagents—components it would take months to find on the surface. I have a good feeling about this grimy little workshop, despite the foul odors of the neighboring boroughs and the ranting of those madcap goblins. I have noticed unsavory activity in the warrens east of here—hooded fellows who steal about in odd hours of the night. And I fear other monstrosities have taken up residence in the tunnels nearby. Send your best man at once to dispatch some old hometown justice. My coin is good. -Grantham Having consumed most of the flesh of its creator, the rotten goreling, a sewn-together collection of eyes and entrails, is voracious and leaps from the shadows to attack the first creature that steps into the room. Secret of the Ooze. The southern table holds an assortment of exotic ingredients—just the kind of ingredients Skirtal needs. A large, clear glass container sits under the table. If a creature gets within 10 feet of the container, the gray liquid inside the container slams against the glass in the direction of the creature. This liquid is a gray ooze, which is trapped in the glass container. A creature outside the container can use an action to remove the large, glass lid. As long as at least one creature stands within 10 feet of the closed container, the gray ooze continues to attack the wall of its prison. It successfully breaks out of the container after 5 rounds. If no creature is within 10 feet of the container, the gray ooze stops attacking the container. This abandoned alchemist’s workshop contains an assortment of dangerous curiosities. An ooze and some undead number among the oddities here. If the characters are careful, they might not disturb all of these horrors as they explore the cluttered laboratory. Horrid Test Subjects. The alchemist was also an aspiring necromancer, and his chamber contains the results of his more recent experiments. Three gorelings and a rotten goreling (Creature Codex, p. 207) lie in wait for living flesh. The three gorelings—a goblin hand, a four-fingered human hand, and a tooth-studded tongue—are each contained in individual glass jars located on the cluttered workbench to the east. If a creature moves within 5 feet of the workbench, the gorelings spring to horrible life inside their glass containers, clawing, thumping, or otherwise attempting to reach the creature through the glass. If any of the glass jars containing the gorelings are opened, the gorelings immediately attack the closest creature.

57 Treasure. The cluttered surface of the desk holds a set of alchemist’s supplies, a jar of alchemist’s fire, two vials of acid, and a potion of healing. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check while searching the desk’s clutter finds a leather-bound grimoire hidden beneath some blank parchment. This spellbook contains the following spells: animate dead, blindness/deafness, chill touch, detect magic, false life, gentle repose, identify, prestidigitation, protection from evil and good, mage hand, ray of frost, scorching ray, and vampiric touch. If you are using the Midgard Heroes Handbook, replace ray of frost and scorching ray with the claws of darkness and darkbolt spells. Any character who examines the book finds a note folded and tucked away within the grimoire’s yellowed pages). These organisms, so perfect in their design, transcend these material realms. And with my perfect supplication I have so delicately pierced the veils between worlds to render the everliving whole and new. Even now, it hungers in its primordial youth. Long live the new flesh. In addition, any character who searches the room has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide.

58 Random Encounters in the Cartways d12 Encounter 1 2 hungry crocodiles approach from a watery chamber nearby. 2 The characters happen upon a hazardous cloud of noxious undercity vapors. A creature that moves through the vapor must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until it finishes a short or long rest. 3 The characters discover a small chamber filled with hanging bodies of humanoids kept cold by an ice mephit trapped in a rune-etched cage. It was trapped here by ghouls as a means of keeping meat fresh for longer. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check suppresses the magic of the cage long enough to free the mephit. 4 2d4 + 1 giant rats 5 1 beggar ghoul (Tome of Beasts, p. 213) 6 1d4 swarms of bats. At the end of the encounter, any character damaged by a swarm must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become afflicted with a disease as if bitten by a diseased giant rat. 7 The characters discover a skeletal corpse that has been picked clean by undercity vermin and years of decay. An object of personal or curious importance lingers on the corpse. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. 8 The characters stumble into a patch of blinding mold. A creature that moves through the mold must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 5 (1d10) poison damage and be blinded for 1 hour. 9 A Forbidden Ecstasy cultist leads a group of 1d3 + 1 masked commoners through the undercity. 10 A ghoul drags an unconscious commoner down a tunnel for a snack. 11 A character must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or it stumbles into a 10-foot-deep simple pit trap, a natural sinkhole in an old mining tunnel. 12 4 bandits who work for a wererat. If reduced to half their hit points or fewer, they try to barter for their safety by mentioning their boss. Their wererat boss might come looking for anyone who kills them. DEEPER INTO THE CARTWAYS If the characters decide to investigate the uncharted tunnels near the edges of the Cartways maps or any of the other hallways and rooms in the Cartways while down here with Brik, there is a 25 percent chance each hour that the characters encounter a wandering monster or other feature of the dangerous Cartways. Use the Random Encounters in the Cartways table and the unlabeled maps or devise your own encounters to challenge the curious characters.

59 INVESTIGATING THE CRIME The characters might want to investigate the scene of the crime or speak with those closest to the missing girl. However, because the disappearance happened several days ago, the crime scene itself doesn’t hold many clues. Rozalyn’s bedroom window has been boarded up, and characters can find a few shards of glass littering the grass beneath it outside. The earth surrounding this area has been churned up by the boots of several people since the disappearance as nearby residents and the City Watch came to investigate, inadvertently trampling any tracks the real kidnapper would have left. What the City Watch Believes. The City Watch spent several days investigating the scene, speaking with nearby residents, and interviewing patrons of the Rampant Roach after Heston said Brik was recently in his shop. During the investigation, they discovered several kobold patrons who saw Brik at the restaurant the night of Rozalyn’s disappearance. The Watch believes the case is linked to the other mysterious disappearances that have been happening around the city the past several weeks. They don’t suspect Brik for a variety of reasons, the most obvious of which is that his size and stature don’t lend themselves well to pulling a struggling human woman through a window and down a city street without being seen or heard. Other, similar disappearances in previous weeks have exhibited clearer evidence pointing to the undercity of Zobeck with some loose ties to kobolds. The Watch has added Rozalyn’s case to the ongoing list of missing persons and are investigating the disappearances as a whole, sending their detectives into the Cartways and its black market for further investigation of all seemingly related cases. Their leading theory, which they share only if a character succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, is that the disappearances are related to an underground slave trading ring fostered by the black market beneath Zobeck. Although logically sound, their theory is (unfortunately) incorrect — the kidnappings are actually the fault of the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies and their ghoul allies, as detailed in the Chapter Background. What Heston Straic Believes. Rozalyn’s father, Heston Straic, isn’t happy about the City Watch’s “dismissal” of his daughter’s disappearance, and he isn’t interested in speaking with anyone about it. Like many of the Zobeck citizens watching or affected by these disappearances, he “just knows” the kobolds are to blame — especially since kobold tools and weapons have been found at each crime scene. He seethes with the barely-contained rage of a grieving parent who is caught up in the recent growth of anti-kobold sentiment. His rage and bias roil within him each night as he broods and glares at Brik’s dagger, which he kept from the City Watch, sitting upon his hearth. Not long after the Watch’s official investigation ends, his rage starts to boil over, and he decides to take matters into his own hands. See The Mob Rules on page 60 for details on Heston’s actions. The Kobold Investigator. Unknown to everyone but himself and a kobold king, the other investigator of Rozalyn’s disappearance is a blue-scaled kobold named Kwarrel. The kobold king sent Kwarrel to investigate the crime scene the morning after the girl’s disappearance. Kwarrel was fortunate enough to get a good look at the scene before the City Watch and a few too many local residents arrived and obscured the tracks in the area with their bootprints. He followed the tracks he found to various seedy establishments and spoke to the patrons within. The next day, Kwarrel noticed a cloaked figure whose tracks matched the tracks he found outside Rozalyn’s window, and he followed this mysterious figure into the Cartways. The cloaked figure eluded Kwarrel, however, by entering an obscure section of the Cartways which housed an old catacomb. Kwarrel reported his findings to his kobold king, who has since been gathering more information and searching for someone he can trust to follow the lead his loyal investigator found. Kwarrel’s kobold king is Koto Crag-Claw, the same king Skirtal loosely follows. After Heston and his vigilantes attack the Rampant Roach in The Mob Rules, Skirtal sends the characters to Koto for further assistance, hoping the kobold king can provide sanctuary for his nephew until the tension in Zobeck lessens. See The Court of the Kobold King on page 60 for details on the characters’ interaction with Koto Crag-Claw.

60 The Mob Rules As the evening wanes on the fifth day after Skirtal hires the characters, an angry mob led by Rozalyn’s father and her husband marches upon the threshold of the dimly lit establishment, torches in hand and eager for justice. Brik and his uncle look to the characters for security. Heston Straic (CN male human thug), Rozalyn’s father, and Viktus Turnyr (CG male human thug), Rozalyn’s husband, have a small gang of six would-be vigilantes (N male and female commoners) with them as they march on the Rampant Roach. Each of the vigilantes is armed with a sling. Shortly after the characters’ dinner is completed or as the characters get up to leave, read or paraphrase the following: Suddenly, the sound of shattered glass cascades through the Rampant Roach, and a dusty beam of light pierces the dim room from a large hole in the front window. The fist‑sized rock that was hurled in from the street outside splashes into a raven pie on a table by the window. The woeful din of a small mob echoes from outside and a dry, old voice shouts: “Come out, you scaly mutt! We know you’re in there!” Heston Straic carries Brik’s silver dagger but uses it only to threaten the kobolds. Straic’s vigilantes view the characters as Brik’s allies and kobold sympathizers whether or not they actually are. The vigilantes proceed to destroy the front windows of the Rampant Roach with sling attacks and thrown rocks for another 1d4 rounds before one of them moves inside to grapple Brik and drag him into the street. After a thorough beating, they plan to haul the hapless kobold youth into a public square for a prolonged demonstration of homegrown justice as they interrogate him about the disappearance of Rozalyn Turnyr. Development. Brik’s companions Skik and Skak immediately move to aid in his defense, while a cautious Skirtal urges everyone to fall back toward the kitchen area. Though defensive of Brik, Skik and Skak don’t kill any of the vigilantes. Knowing the laws of the city and not wanting to exacerbate the current tension toward kobolds, they focus their efforts on incapacitating the angry mob before calling for the local guard. If the vigilantes go unchallenged, they reduce Brik to 1 hit point before dragging him off to Crown Square for a public flogging. The vigilantes retreat, however, if at least four of them are incapacitated or unconscious or as soon as one of them is killed. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check convinces the vigilantes to stand down without a fight. Next steps. If the characters protect Brik from the assault and successfully rout the vigilantes, Skirtal produces a pouch of 15 gp and insists they take an audience with the kobold king Koto Crag-Claw in a nearby section of the Ghetto. It is clear to the old kobold that a small protection detail on his nephew won’t be enough if another mob comes knocking on the Roach’s door. Skirtal insists that the characters will have their pick of wondrous items from Crag-Claw’s treasury once he hears of their honorable triumph. The Court of the Kobold King After facing Heston Straic’s would-be vigilantes, the characters are led by Brik, Skik, and Skak to the nearby Kobold Ghetto for an audience with a lesser kobold king, Koto Crag-Claw. Koto is a retired kobold adventurer who wants to increase his reputation and power in the Ghetto. He has set his sights on absolving his people of the false accusations against them in regards to the recent disappearances, hoping to gain quick notoriety as a proponent for kobold rights in the city. Skirtal knows of Koto’s ambitions and sends his nephew to introduce the characters to the lesser king, hoping the characters can help Koto and thereby help Skirtal and Brik. It is always best to remain on the good side of a powerful kobold king, and being known as the establishment where heroes stood up for kobolds against the racism of the Big Folk wouldn’t hurt Skirtal’s business either. Brik leads the characters through the dark, cramped streets of the Kobold Ghetto. He carries a torch ahead of them, signaling to those kobolds nearby that the characters are with him. The characters must step sideways to pass through many of the alleys and side streets and duck to avoid bumping into hanging laundry and shop signs as they follow Brik. Skik and Skak walk behind the characters, keeping local beggars and pickpockets away from the group, while Brik points out traps in the streets meant to ensnare Big Folk. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that each kobold on the streets of the Ghetto stops what it is doing and watches the group pass. Brik eventually brings them to a large building at the end of a cramped alley. Inside, Koto Crag-Claw (CG male kobold king [Creature Codex, p. 239]) sits upon a scrap metal throne flanked by a retinue of well-armed kobold guards. The sharp-eyed, contemplative king listens intently to one of his subjects as his hooked left hand errantly scratches his crowned pate. A lithe, blue-scaled kobold before the throne gesticulates to

61 the king with great fervor, but stops mid-sentence when the characters enter. Koto waves the characters forward as the blue kobold steps to the side. The king addresses the characters: “Here they are, Kwarrel! The sellswords old Skirtal mentioned. And they look like proper slayers! Welcome to my court, friends of kobolds.” After pleasantries are exchanged, Koto introduces his trusted aide Kwarrel (CG male kobold scout with darkvision out to a range of 60 feet), who is roguishly clad with the harnesses and tools of a seasoned trapspringer. Here are some likely questions and Koto’s answers: Why are we here? / What do you want from us? Brik’s situation is a sign of a larger threat to Zobeck’s kobold community. This isn’t the first kidnapping, and I fear it won’t be the last. Friends of kobolds, I need your help freeing my people of these false accusations. What do you know of the situation? Several Big Folk have gone missing over the past few weeks, and kobold equipment and weapons have been found at the site of each disappearance. How do you know kobolds aren’t to blame? I sent scouts to check the other kobold kings and gangs in the Ghetto. None of them were involved in the disappearances, though they blame each other. We kobolds prefer to keep to ourselves and not make trouble with Big Folk. Kidnapping Big Folk is heaps of trouble for all kobolds. Have your scouts found any leads to the culprit? After speaking with several witnesses, Kwarrel here tracked an unidentified, cloaked Big Folk from the scene of the crime at the Turnyr girl’s home to an odd section of catacombs beneath the Cartways. How long do we have? Kwarrel will escort you to where he saw the figure in the catacombs, and I’ve instructed him to wait until you return. The other kidnapped Big Folk were taken once every two to three weeks. I’d say you have less than a week before another is kidnapped. For Brik’s sake, I hope you find the blacksmith’s daughter. Koto Crag-Claw offers the characters a sum of 200 gp and magic items as payment for the party’s assistance with Brik’s exoneration—which includes locating Rozalyn Turnyr and any evidence that can positively identify her assailants and the larger threat. If the characters ask about Brik, Koto assures them his kobolds will keep Brik safe while the characters are away. Crag-Claw’s Cache. As an adventurer, Koto acquired a wide range of common and uncommon magic items. If the characters agree to help him, he rewards them with two common magic items or one uncommon magic item (your choice). A successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces Koto to hand over one magic item early. The item should be one that helps the characters on their journey through the Cartways, such as a candle of summoning (see page 258), a lantern of revealing, or pipes of the sewers. If the characters agree to help the kobolds, Kwarrel is ready and eager to lead the characters through the Kobold Ghetto to the catacomb entrance, but he is very straightforward about not being able to accompany them any further. That is, after all, what they’re being paid to do. He patiently waits up to 24 hours for the characters to prepare for the journey into the Cartways. If the characters take longer, he seeks them at their residences or lodgings in the city and reminds them of their agreement with king Koto Crag-Claw. If the characters request it, Kwarrel, Skik, or Skak escort the characters safely into and out of the Kobold Ghetto, preventing the characters from being accosted by beggars, pickpockets, or mining gangs (2d6 kobolds fresh off the mines and looking for trouble). The Cartways are ancient mining tunnels beneath Zobeck that have been expanded in the past century to be used

62 for much more than mining. The unskilled could easily become lost, kidnapped, or eaten by what lurks in the Cartways. Kwarrel leads the characters on the safest route he knows to the catacombs where he last saw the cloaked figure who fled the scene of Rozalyn Turnyr’s kidnapping. Into the Zobeck Catacombs The catacombs beneath Zobeck are dark and full of terrors. Kwarrel leaves the characters once they reach this dusty, grave-strewn realm, promising to wait nearby to escort them back once they’ve solved the mystery. Unless otherwise stated, the arched ceilings in this lightless area are 12 feet tall, and the doors are made of stone (AC 17, 27 hp, and a damage threshold of 5). 1. FIRST HALL Several staggered sets of stairs journey deep into the structured subterranean realms below Zobeck. After descending roughly two hundred feet into the undercity, the 5-foot entrance corridor terminates at a dusty crypt hall lined with caskets. The rank subterranean air smells of ancient rot. Sixteen wooden caskets are laid within massive alcove shelves lining the long walls of the hall to the east and west, stacked two high in rows of four. A narrow corridor on the opposite end of the hall continues toward a small antechamber before receding into darkness. The first hall is home to two beggar ghouls (Tome of Beasts, p. 213), who hide and wait for interlopers to move into Area 2 before attacking from behind. Utilizing the caskets and their moldy shrouds as cover, these beggar ghouls have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide here. Development. If the beggar ghouls haven’t been spotted, they sneak out from their hiding places to attack the characters from behind after the characters move into Area 2. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check locates several sets of tracks, including a half dozen different ghouls and two humanoids (the ghoul assassin, Borys Kreul, and the human Red Sister Felixia BaelSheth). The latter two sets of tracks distinctly move toward Area 2 and beyond, while the pattern of the ghoul tracks is erratic at best. Concealed Passage. A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the narrow tunnel concealed behind the bottom-shelf casket in the southeastern alcoves. Treasure. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a small amount of treasure in a few of the caskets, including a purse containing 19 sp, a vintage playing card set worth 5 gp, and a garnet brooch worth 20 gp. In addition, any character who searches this area has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. 2. FIRST ANTECHAMBER This square antechamber has four exits, including the path back towards the first hall, a 5-foot corridor that heads east into Area 3, and doors to the south and the west. The western door is unlocked and leads to a collapsed tunnel. Trapped Door. The southern door leading to Area 6 is locked and trapped. A successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock or a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. When a creature fails to pick the door’s lock or attempts to force open the door, iron spears extend horizontally from holes in each of the walls flanking the door. Each creature within 5 feet of the door when the trap is triggered must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Prevention. The holes in the walls are obscured by dust and cobwebs and cleverly hidden amid the mortared joints of the ancient masonry. The DC to spot them is 15. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces the presence of a trigger chain connected at the foot of the stone door. A successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools breaks the chain. A character without thieves’ tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers. 3. SECOND ANTECHAMBER This square antechamber has four exits, including the path back towards the first antechamber, a short corridor that heads north toward Area 4, and doors to the south and the east. The eastern door is locked and leads to a soundproof corridor. A successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock. Alternatively, a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. Trapped Door. The southern door leading to Area 7 is locked and trapped. A successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock or a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. When a creature fails to pick the door’s lock or attempts to force open the door, iron spears extend horizontally from holes in the walls

63

64 flanking the door. Each creature within 5 feet of the door when the trap is triggered must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5 (1d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Prevention. The holes in the walls are obscured by dust and cobwebs and cleverly hidden amid the mortared joints of the ancient masonry. The DC to spot them is 15. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check deduces the presence of a trigger chain connected at the top of the stone door. A successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools breaks the chain. A character without thieves’ tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers. 4. SECOND HALL This long chamber resembles Area 1 and is also bedecked with wooden caskets laid upon sullen and stony shelves. One beggar ghoul and one ghoul occupy this second hall, which serves as a resting place for Borys Kreul’s minions. Utilizing the caskets and their moldy shrouds as cover, the ghouls in this area have advantage on any checks made to hide. Concealed Passage. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the narrow tunnels partially-concealed behind the bottom-shelf casket in the northwestern alcoves and the top shelf casket in one of the southeastern alcoves. Both caskets have crumbled from infestations of rot and vermin. Treasure. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a small amount of treasure in a few of the caskets, including 10 gp of loose coin, a copper amulet featuring St. Whiteskull of Bratislor (a saint of Mavros revered in Morgau and among the ghouls), and an agate-handled dagger worth 20 gp. In addition, any character who searches this area has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. 5. TINY POND A narrow tunnel winds southward to meet this small cave-like chamber nestled between the catacomb walls. A large pool of stagnant water stretches from wall to wall of the earthen room. This misshapen chamber is roughly hewn from the undercity bedrock. Located between the first and second halls, it contains an irregular pit that is the clandestine lair of a gelatinous cube. It became stuck in this 10-foot deep pit after chasing some tomb robbers through the catacombs a year ago. The ghouls found it a few months ago, and, when Borys Kreul or his minions have flesh to dispose of that can’t or won’t be eaten, they feed it to the ooze. Its meals from the ghouls are irregular and partial at best, leaving the cube hungry. Development. Within its unique habitat, the transparent gelatinous cube resembles a pool of stagnant water. Wisdom (Perception) checks made to spot the gelatinous cube have disadvantage due to the uncharacteristically odd space it occupies. A creature who falls or steps into the “water” is engulfed by the gelatinous cube. The cube can’t escape its pit, leaving it unable to chase prey. The cube is restrained by the pit, and its pseudopod has a reach of

65 10 feet as it has spent the last year reaching for whatever scraps or vermin come down this tunnel. Treasure. A few pieces of metal equipment are suspended within the gelatinous cube’s transparent form, including a shortsword, a morningstar, and a chain shirt. The cube also holds 6 gp and 13 sp of loose coin. 6. FIRST TOMB A bronze effigy on the southern wall depicts a cloaked humanoid figure with hands raised in arcane gesticulation. The lifeless statue gestures toward four stone sarcophagi that decorate the four corners of the room. Two iron sconces bearing dusty torches hang upon each wall at regular intervals. This square chamber is the tomb of a long-deceased and long-forgotten Zobeck noble. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (History or Religion) check recognizes the statue of the cloaked figure to be an artist’s interpretation of Charun, the God of Death and Guardian of Souls. Trapped Statue. This trap is activated when a character opens one of the sarcophagi, causing the statue to release a 15-foot cone of necrotic energy from its hands. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Prevention. Levers sit under the lip of the sarcophagi lids. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check spots the levers beneath the lids of the sarcophagi. A spell or other effect that can sense the presence of magic, such as detect magic, reveals an aura of evocation magic around the statue. Wedging an iron spike or other heavy object above the release levers prevents the trap from activating. A successful dispel magic (DC 13) cast on the statue destroys the trap. Secret Doors. A successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the secret doors on the eastern and western walls of the chamber, which can be opened by rotating the respective iron sconces near the doors in a counterclockwise direction. Treasure. Other than the bones of the long-forgotten dead and their rotting shrouds, the four sarcophagi here are empty. The small chamber behind the secret door on the western wall, however, contains a small trove of three unlocked wooden treasure chests—each containing 100 silver ingots minted with the relief of a boar’s head on both faces. A successful DC 10 Intelligence (History) check recognizes this as the symbol of the Barony of Doresh. Each ingot is worth 5 sp. 7. SECOND TOMB Four stone sarcophagi decorate the four corners of the room. Two iron sconces bearing dusty torches hang upon each wall at regular intervals. This square chamber resembles Area 6. Although it closely resembles the first tomb, no statue awaits the characters in this threadbare crypt. Instead, a subterranean species of scorpion nests within the lightless chamber. Any character who investigates the sarcophagi has a 50 percent chance of encountering 4 scorpions. These semi-translucent scorpions have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Secret Doors. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the secret doors on the southern and western walls of the chamber, which can be opened by rotating the respective iron sconces near the doors in a counter-clockwise direction. Treasure. Other than the bones of the long-forgotten dead and their rotting shrouds, the four sarcophagi here contain little of value. The skeleton in the southeastern sarcophagus wears a rose quartz ring worth 15 gp. In addition, the small chamber behind the secret door on the southern wall contains a modest collection of worm-eaten books and scrolls stacked high on a rotted, wooden desk. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check locates a spell scroll of false life and a bookmark of eldritch insight (see page 258) among the moldering pile. 8. THIRD ANTECHAMBER A suit of armor sits in the eastern alcove of this small square antechamber. Every surface of the plate mail is covered in sharp iron spikes, and it stands with a posture of grim authority. This antechamber has three exits, including a short corridor that heads north towards Area 9 and doors to the west and south. The western door to Area 3 is unlocked. The southern door to Area 10 is locked. A successful DC 13 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock. Alternatively, a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the phrase “From the Cradle” chiseled into the arched stonework above the northern and western entrances to this area. This is a clue regarding the command phrase for the animated armor. Animated Armor. A suit of spiked animated armor lies dormant in the alcove on the eastern wall. The spiked armor is a suit of animated armor, except its slam attack

66 deals piercing damage, and, at the start of each of its turns, it deals 1d6 piercing damage to any creature grappling it or grappled by it. If a creature enters Area 8 without first speaking the command phrase “to the grave,” the spiked animated armor lurches to life and attacks the offending trespasser. A creature that speaks the command phrase can move freely through Area 8 for up to 1 hour before the animated armor resets. 9. THIRD HALL The smell of decay hangs heavy in the air of this long hall lined with casket-stuffed alcoves. The north end of the room is covered in overlapping strands of thick, knotted spider webs. This long chamber resembles Areas 1 and 2, but the wooden caskets and stone alcoves here have been supplanted by the huge nest of an arachnid horror. This room is one of many nests of a crypt spider (Creature Codex, p. 348) which inhabits the Cartways. Spider webs cover the northern half of the chamber, and any creature that moves through them treats the webs as difficult terrain. A creature that ends its movement in the webbing must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or become restrained per the crypt spider’s web attack. The webbing has AC 8, 3 hp, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage. The crypt spider’s zombies can’t be hindered or restrained by the webbing. Creatures. The crypt spider has struck a frail alliance with Borys Kreul and the ghouls of the surrounding catacombs, who view the intelligent beast as something of a pet. The spider doesn’t trust the ghouls and interacts with them as little as possible, spending the majority of its time lately building and occupying other nests in the Cartways. It left two zombies to guard this nest and feed its young, trusting that the ghouls would find their infected flesh unappetizing. When one of the zombies dies, the corpse bursts open, releasing hundreds of crypt spider young (use swarm of spiders statistics). The crypt spider returns after a few days to check on its young, making this room a risky place for the characters to rest. Treasure. A few items of interest are scattered among the desiccated remains of the crypt spider’s previous meals, including a silvered short sword, a glass rod arcane focus, and 16 gp of loose coin. In addition, any character who searches this area has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. 10. THIRD TOMB Four stone sarcophagi decorate the corners of this decrepit tomb. Two iron sconces bearing dusty torches hang upon each wall at regular intervals, while a bronze statue against the southern wall holds aloft a bronze torch of its own. The arresting human female depicted by this metallic effigy appears stoic and resolute, with a torch held high in her left hand and a key held low in her right. This chamber resembles the tombs of Areas 6 and 7, and it serves as an erstwhile meeting place for the Red Sister when visiting her ghoulish minions. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check hears voices as the characters approach the door. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (History or Religion) check recognizes the statue of the torch bearer to be an artist’s interpretation of Hecate, the Goddess of Darkness, Knowledge and Magic and the Opener of Doors. If the characters enter the room undetected or listen just outside the door, they happen upon a conversation between Borys Kreul (NE male ghoul) and Felixia Bael-Sheth (CE female human Red Sister [see page 324]). Read or paraphrase the following: A gray-skinned assassin clad in black studded leather, a silver face mask, and a heavy black cloak stands before a scantily-clad albino woman with a bewitching countenance. The long-haired beauty drapes her arms around the menacing fellow in an intimate gesture of fealty, coercing information from the scowling brute like a lover elicits hesitant affections. After exchanging pleasantries, the two discuss the forthcoming rituals in the hidden Temple of Marena, the ongoing subversion of Melancha Vendemic through the bogus Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies, and their illicit plans for other Zobeck nobles of questionable repute. The conversation is filled with brief phrases and key words of two people “in the know,” which might be mostly nonsense to the characters. The key notes for the characters are the name Melancha Vendemic and that the pair plan to coerce other Zobeck nobles and politicians into their schemes. Borys mentions the consuls of Zobeck will hold a vote on military assistance in the coming weeks, shortly after the Magdar ambassador is scheduled to arrive, and he urges Felixia to increase her pace in seducing other consuls. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (History) check recognizes Melancha Vendemic as a consul of Zobeck and the consuls as Zobeck’s ruling body of government.

67 Borys Kreul is a ghoul, except he has an Intelligence of 14 and carries a shortsword and a hand crossbow. A letter to him from Felixia rests in a pocket in his cloak along with a key to the northern door in Area 10. Felixia BaelSheth is detailed in Area 2 of the Temple of Marena. Development. Felixia and Borys discuss their plans for 30 minutes or until alerted to the characters’ presence, at which point Felixia flees through the tunnel to the south towards the Cartways, triggering a collapsing roof trap in the hallway behind her to slow pursuers. Her escape is assisted by Kreul, who stands in defiance of the characters. When combat starts, he calls out to two skeletons hiding inside of the sarcophagi. Loyal to the Ghoul Imperium, My dear Mr. Kreul, I yearn for your counsel once more. Ms. Vandemic’s appetites for our offerings have grown predictably fierce, and I do hope we can appease our precious consul for as long as our Imperial lords wish to retain her services. Marena’s grace has kept the foolish babe pliant enough, but we must remain vigilant, my love, lest she stray from the Mother’s path. I appeal to you for fresh lambs, my hungry wolf. The stone thirsts, and the mouths of our fair children run dry. Meet me beneath the Lady of Tears three nights from now. The Red Sisters are forever in your debt, my lord. And remember: our forbidden ecstasies taste much sweeter when your blade does the letting. By the Red Mother’s Mercy, F. he fights to the death to protect the goals of his superiors. If Felixia is somehow prevented from escaping and dies here, the Forelden Twins continue the work of their mistress, and Luna Forelden becomes a Red Sister by the blessing of Marena. Secret Door. A successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the secret door behind the statue on the southern wall of the chamber, which can be opened by rotating the iron sconce next to the door in a counter-clockwise direction. The stepped corridor beyond this secret door gently slopes up and further south into the undercity for two hundred feet before arriving at a lower section of the Cartways. If the characters arrived while Felixia and Borys were speaking, she leaves the door slightly ajar in her escape, revealing its presence.

68 The Temple of Marena After they endure the feral denizens of the Catacombs, the characters must follow the trail of the Red Sister and her cultists deeper into the lightless realms of the Cartways. The stepped corridor beyond the secret door in Area 10 gently slopes up and further south into the undercity before arriving at a lower section of the Cartways. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check locates the recent footsteps of the Red Sister, Felixia Bael-Sheth. If the check succeeds by 5 or more, the character notices several other distinct sets of days-old tracks, including a half-dozen footprints of Medium humanoids. The tracks lead to a crossroads of tunnels that all terminate in a chamber dominated by massive, metal doors. What was once an enormous cistern for Lower Zobeck has now become a bastion of sub rosa extravagance and unsavory appetites. Unless otherwise stated, the ceilings in this area are 15 feet tall, and the doors are made of wood (AC 15, 17 hp, and a damage threshold of 2). 1. TEMPLE ENTRANCE The intense smell of decay permeates the air of this chamber. A hulking figure at the northern end of the hallway slowly rises to its feet from a pile of bones and offal. Its taught, gray skin and beady, red eyes betray its distinctly ghoulish nature. It licks a mouth full of needle-like fangs with its hideously long tongue as it lumbers forward. This wide crossroads of tunnels is the makeshift lair of a ghoulish ogre that serves as a gruesome sentry for the Temple of Marena to the north. The ogre ghoul is a Large ghoul, except it has a Strength score of 18 and 44 hit points. The ogre ghoul has a challenge rating of 2 (450 XP). The ogre ghoul squeezes through the tunnels to leave this area only if instructed to do so by Borys Kreul or Felixia. Otherwise, it fights to the death to defend the entry into the Temple of Marena. The ogre ghoul is tended by a cultist who ensures the ogre ghoul doesn’t eat new recruits or captives of the cult. The cultist carries a key to the door and wields a light crossbow. In combat, it hides by the door, using its crossbow to assist the ogre ghoul from a distance. If the ogre ghoul is slain, the cultist uses its action the following round to open the door, warning those inside of the intruders. Chamber doors. The primary entrance to the Temple of Marena consists of a 10-foot wide set of metal doors that once served as a waterproof floodgate for the cistern beyond. The doors that conceal the temple from the outside world are massive, sturdy, and locked. Without a key, a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, or a successful DC 20 Strength check forces open the door. Treasure. The ogre ghoul nests east of the door upon a pile of carrion and bone, which includes the castoff equipment of its previous meals: a longsword, a scimitar, a shield, a war pick, a suit of ring mail, a ruined suit of leather armor, and one breastplate. The ogre ghoul’s carrion pile reeks of death. A creature that searches the ogre ghoul’s carrion pile must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour. 2. MAIN HALL The sweet smell of incense fills this expansive chamber. Two rows of columns line a well-traveled walkway towards a dais on the far end of the hall. A young woman is bound and pinioned to a stone pillar. Large braziers surround her, casting a pale light while billowing strange violet plumes of smoke into the dank, undercity air. Over a dozen people in white and red robes look on as a voluptuous, crimson-clad woman gesticulates above the chained maiden with a ceremonial spear. This enormous cistern has been converted to the Temple of Marena’s main hall. The tall ceiling of this immense

69

70 chamber is 25 feet high, and the cold floors are made of tiled slate. If the characters manage to thwart the guards in Area 1 without alerting anyone, a grand scene atop a central dais awaits the characters when they arrive at this expansive, subterranean chamber. Rozalyn Turnyr (CG female human) is manacled and chained to a stone pillar flanked by two cultists. Melancha Vendemic (LN female human) dances around Rozalyn, wielding a ceremonial silvered spear. Linus Forelden (NE male elfmarked acolyte), his twin sister Luna Forelden (NE female elfmarked scout), and Red Sister Felixia Bael-Sheth look upon the scene with a perverse and sadistic glee. They are joined by an additional eight commoners of various races and genders (humans, elfmarked, dwarves, and dhampir among them) and four human and elfmarked cultists. Each of the cultists carries a key to Rozalyn Turnyr’s manacles and the slave chamber in Area 12. Half of the cultists and commoners wear gothic carnival masks and half-masks to casually hide their appearance. Burning Braziers. A set of four large braziers surround the central pillar, tainting the nearby air with strange incense. Each of these burning braziers sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. Each creature that isn’t an undead or construct that ends its turn within 20 feet of a burning brazier must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or experience mild hallucinations and have disadvantage on ability checks for 1 minute. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the hallucinogenic effects of the burning braziers for the next 24 hours. The Commoners. The commoners present for the ceremony are people of Zobeck who have been seduced by the cult’s sensual pleasures. None of them are interested in dying for the cult and flee or fall prone in surrender if the characters attack. The Consul. Although her increasingly perverse tastes have led her this far, Zobeck consul Melancha Vendemic is an unwitting accomplice in Felixia Bael-Sheth’s sinister schemes with the ghouls. Melancha’s blossoming interest in the overtly sensual nature of the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies has clouded her mind to the realities of the cult’s more gruesome activities and its association with ghouls. The distraction of the cult’s sensual entertainments also enabled the Red Sister’s charming magic to take firmer hold of Melancha’s faltering wits. When the characters arrive, Melancha is under the effects of the suggestion spell Felixia cast using the cult’s magical chalice. In the full throes of the cult’s influence, Melancha prepares to make small lacerations to Rozalyn Turnyr’s skin during a debauched ritual. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check notices Melancha is under magical influence and isn’t in full control of her actions. The consul can be roused from her stupor with direct intervention, such as interrupting Felixia’s concentration or using an action to shake Melancha. The consul, realizing what she has done and where she is, attempts to escape the Temple of Marena, dropping the ceremonial silvered spear behind her. The Imperium’s Spy. If the characters didn’t kill him in the Catacombs, the ghoul Borys Kreul (Tome of Beasts, p. 216) is also present here in the Main Hall to witness and participate in the ritual performed by the Red Sister and her minions. Kreul is armed with a shortsword and a hand crossbow. The Red Sister. Felixia Bael-Sheth (CE female human) is an albino woman with a scar-shaped crimson birthmark marring the porcelain features of her face as it cuts through the orbit of her right eye. She wears sheer white robes loosely wrapped and wound with long, red ribbons. Her holy symbol, a tiny skull amulet carved from a blood-red ruby, hangs just below her throat. Felixia is a Red Sister (see page 324), except she wields a dagger instead of a spear. In addition, she carries a chalice of forbidden ecstasies (see page 258), a key to the temple entrance doors in Area 1, a key to her chamber in Area 6, and a key to Rozalyn Turnyr’s manacles.

71 The Forelden Twins. Felixia Bael-Sheth reserves her full trust for the elfmarked Forelden twins. These fair-haired charismatic courtiers are clad in the revealing crimson robes of the cult. Both wield whips in addition to their normal weapons. If one Forelden twin dies, the other attempts to escape via the concealed teleportation circle located between Areas 4 and 11. Development. Felixia Bael-Sheth has been using her coercive magic and the sensual delights of the cult to corrupt the consul, encouraging Melancha’s illicit participation in the ritual. Felixia and her superiors seek the consul’s favor for arbitration of wartime trade agreements between Zobeck and the Blood Kingdom. Felixia’s ghoulish allies believe they are aiding in this process to strengthen ties between the Ghoul Imperium and the Blood Kingdom. In reality, Radomir sent the ghouls to aid Felixia in hopes that their aid would help her pull Zobeck’s attention away from the Ironcrag Mountains and toward the Mharoti Empire, allowing his spies an easier time searching the dwarven mountains for his quarry. Dedicated to her cause and terrified of the cost of failure, Felixia fights to the death. The cultists ignore Rozalyn Turnyr, preferring to leave her chained and shackled to the pillar. If a character attempts to free Rozalyn Turnyr from her manacled bonds, the Forelden twins move to intervene. Without the key, a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock. Treasure. The ceremonial silvered spear that the cult uses during their illicit rites is nonmagical but is exceptionally crafted and worth 150 gp. Felixia’s ruby holy symbol of Marena is worth 50 gp. 3. BLOOD FOUNTAIN The relief of a large gargoyle’s mouth on the northern wall spouts a stream of crimson-tinted fluid into a wide basin. The water in this time-worn fountain appears to have been polluted by the blood of several creatures, and it swirls with exotic red plumes beneath its rippling surface. This corrupted fountain runs red with blood-tainted water. This blood fountain is another kind of altar in service to Marena, the Red Goddess. After a creature is lacerated upon the stone pillar in Area 2, they are left here unconscious to bathe in the fountain as they exsanguinate into its tepid waters. Blood in the Water. Along with the sacrifices left to bathe here, the dark rites performed by the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies in this hidden temple fuel the blood fountain’s strange magic. Each creature that drinks the water of the blood fountain has advantage on Charisma ability checks and saving throws until it finishes a short or long rest. In addition, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be incapacitated for 1 minute as it is overcome with euphoria. 4. BED CHAMBER The four beds that line this chamber are plush with silken sheets and down pillows. The comfort displayed by the beds is out‑of‑place next to the cold stone walls and the dull, perpetual hum of the subterranean cistern. A red crystal statue stands in the center of the room, depicting a sultry maiden in a suggestive pose. A crimson-colored glass golem (Creature Codex, p. 200) crafted in the likeness of a seductive maiden guards this chamber. If a creature enters without speaking the phrase “Red Mother’s mercy” or without wearing the cult’s red robes, the glass golem animates and attacks. Treasure. Any character who searches this area has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. Secret Door. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the secret door in the corner of the chamber, which can be opened by depressing a nearby button concealed as a small stone brick. 5. FORELDEN BED CHAMBER This chamber is lavishly decorated with silken crimson tapestries, and unlit candles cover nearly every surface. A large, circular bed covered in down pillows and silk sheets occupies the room’s central area. A red crystal statue stands on the eastern wall, depicting two lovers—a seductive courtesan and a handsome courtier—entwined in a dance. A crimson-colored glass golem crafted in the embracing, entwined likenesses of a courtesan and a courtier guards this bedroom. If a creature enters without speaking the phrase “Red Mother’s mercy” or without wearing the cult’s red robes, the glass golem animates and attacks. Locked Door. The door to the chamber is locked; Linus and Luna Forelden each have a key. Without the key, a successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools picks the lock, or a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. Treasure. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that one of the candles on the table near the glass golem is distinctly different from the others in color and texture. This black candle smells of strange and heady herbs. A successful DC 18 Intelligence (Arcana) check

72 recognizes this as a candle of visions (see page 258). In addition, a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds a finely-crafted leather whip with a bloodstone handle worth 100 gp under one of the pillows. 6. FELIXIA BAEL-SHETH’S BED CHAMBER Faint floral perfumes drift in the air of this chamber, which is lined with unlit candles and red silken tapestries. A crimson-upholstered divan sits on the western wall and a red-patterned rug lies in the center of the chamber. A red glass statue adorns a table near the divan. The sculpture depicts a seductive feminine form crowned with the chilling visage of a smirking skull. A plush red satin divan rests against the western wall of this bedchamber, which serves as the personal sanctuary of the Red Sister Felixia Bael-Sheth. A rug of smothering guards this bedroom. The rug of smothering remains motionless until trod upon or until a creature other than Felixia tries to enter the eastern side chamber. Locked Door. The door to the chamber is locked; Felixia Bael-Sheth has the only key. Without the key, a successful DC 15 Dexterity check picks the lock, or a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. Closet Chamber. The smaller room to the west of Felixia’s bedroom contains one crimson robe of the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies, which hangs on an iron peg driven into the far wall. An unlocked wooden chest on the southern wall contains two gothic carnival masks: one mask is fashioned in the likeness of a madcap harlequin, and the other mask is crafted to resemble a menacing, red skull. Treasure. The red glass sculpture in this room is carved in the likeness of the Blood Goddess Marena and is worth 100 gp. The small room to the east of this chamber contains several shelves lined with books, oddities, and jars of various dried flowers. An open letter from a Blood Kingdom Baron sits on top of one of the books. Most of the books are tawdry novels and erotic fiction. A book bound in blood-stained leather, titled Prophets of the Red Goddess, stands out from the rest. The tome covers a wide range of information on Marena, her influence, and her priestesses, the Red Sisters. One particular passage of the tome contains information about the implementation of red glass golems, like the ones found throughout the temple, and lists an array of command phrases for such creations, including those assigned to the golems in this temple. The book is worth 200 gp to a collector of obscure religious writings and rare eldritch antiquities. A character that examines the book discovers a note folded within its pages from someone named Shroudson. 30 Harvest Tide, 483 A.R. In the name of Baron Urslav, Crawling Lord of Vallanoria, Keeper of the Red Sisters, and by the unholy hand of King Lucan, Lord of the Shroud-Eaters, Let it be known to all agents of the Blood Kingdom: change is coming to Zobeck, by the hand of our fair Sisters and the Brothers of Nicoforus the Pale, first of his name. Our allies seek to divert Zobeck’s attention from the Ironcrags toward the Mharoti. To this end, the honorable Felixia Bael-Sheth has been appointed Red Sister of the First Order and ordained to serve the Red Mother’s mercy from our bastion within Zobeck itself. All agents of the Blood Kingdom are hereby summoned to identify any personages of significant import for conversion within Sister Bael-Sheth’s enclave. These covenants will form the bedrock of new trade and ensure a pact of non-aggression with the Crossroads City. By the glory of Morgau and the unhallowed legions of Doresh, In Marena’s name we conquer. Ms. Bael-Sheth, Congratulations on your new post. Your predecessor was quite reluctant to communicate, and I trust you are a better correspondent. The bearer of this letter is my agent, Borys Kreul, whom I have tasked with assisting you in whatever way you desire. He is particularly adept at acquiring prey and might serve well in procuring lambs for your goddess’ altar. He brings with him one of our latest acquisitions. An oafish lout, indeed, but this acquisition should prove effective in defending your new position. Though do be sure to keep him well fed. -Shroudson

73 7. STOREROOMS These chambers serve as the armory and storerooms for the cultists that dwell within the temple. Four crimson-colored robes of the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies hang on iron pegs driven into the southern wall. Weapon Rack. An eight-foot-wide rack containing a haphazard array of weapons hugs the eastern wall of the chamber. The weapons hanging upon the rack include: two flails, a flanged mace, a morningstar, a spear, three curved torture instruments that function the same as sickles, two scimitars and a whip. Pantry. The northeastern chamber here is empty, but the northwestern chamber is stocked with foodstuffs. The pantry contains enough rations to feed 20 creatures for 60 days, one 30-gallon barrel of clean water, and one 30-gallon barrel of red wine. Three sacks of rice lean against the wall. 8. BED CHAMBER This chamber is bedecked with pillowed divans and plush ottomans, which surround a central, circular bed. Beneath the satin sheets, a flaxen-haired elfmarked woman lies beside the body of a human. The elfmarked cult fanatic who resides here slit the throat of her lover moments before the characters arrive. Still dripping with blood, she produces a dagger from beneath her pillow and attacks the characters when they enter. Her crimson cult robes lie next to the bed along with a disparate set of traveler’s clothes. Treasure. Any character who searches this area has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. Closet Chambers. The two smaller rooms to the north and west of the bedroom contain two sets of crimson robes of the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies, which hang on iron pegs driven into the far walls. 9. PLEASURE DEN A collection of torture devices decorates this lantern-lit chamber. Two leather-padded pillories, a rack, and a spiked iron chair accompany a table topped with two whips and a set of metal surgical tools. This chamber is outfitted with an array of torture devices and exotic implements. A hooded lantern hangs from the ceiling on a chain in the center of the room, and sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius. When the characters arrive, the hooded lantern here has already been burning for 1 hour. It burns for an additional 5 hours on the flask of oil that fuels it. A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check notices traces of fresh blood on the floor beneath the rack and on some of the surgical tools. Secret Door. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices the secret door in the northwestern corner of the chamber, which can be opened by depressing a nearby button concealed as a small stone brick. Closet Chamber. The smaller room to the northeast of the bedroom chamber contains an array of a dozen well-made risqué outfits (treat as fine clothes), which hang on iron pegs driven into the far wall. An unlocked wooden chest on the southern wall contains an assortment of gothic carnival masks and half masks worth 15 gp and two leather whips. 10. BED CHAMBER This chamber is lined with pillowed divans and plush ottomans. A round bed adorns the center of the room, covered in satin sheets and feathered pillows. Treasure. Any character who searches this area has a one-time 25 percent chance of discovering an object of personal or curious importance. Choose an appropriate mundane item or roll on the Underworld Trinkets table in the Underworld Player’s Guide. Closet Chambers. The smaller room to the southeast of the chamber contains one crimson robe of the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies, which hangs on an iron peg driven into the far wall. An unlocked wooden chest on the southern wall contains an assortment of gothic carnival masks worth 5 gp. 11. PLEASURE DEN A collection of torture devices decorates this lantern-lit chamber. Two leather-padded pillories and an iron maiden accompany a table topped with two whips and a set of metal surgical tools. A human female wearing a mouse-like carnival mask leans against one of the pillories, giggling, while an elfmarked man in a panther mask stands beside her, cradling a black leather whip. This chamber is outfitted with an array of torture devices and exotic implements. A hooded lantern hangs from the ceiling on a chain in the center of the room, and sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius. When the characters arrive, two commoners are engaged in a flirtatious game

74 of cat-and-mouse, blissfully removed from the ritual in the main hall. If the characters don’t outnumber the commoners, the male commoner threatens the characters with violence if they refuse to leave. If the characters outnumber the commoners, the two beg for pardon and sanctuary from whatever retribution the characters might bring. The commoners are a middle-aged couple who recently joined the cult in an effort to bring more excitement into their private lives. They know nothing of Felixia’s plots or of the events in Area 2. Secret Door. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notice the secret door in the northeastern corner of the chamber, which can be opened by depressing a nearby button concealed as a small stone brick. Secret Secret Door. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check while in the hidden hallway notices the secret door halfway down the corridor, which can be opened by depressing a nearby button concealed as a flagstone on the tunnel floor. A faintly-glowing circle of runes fills the floor of the small chamber beyond the door. A successful DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check determines the circle is a permanent one-way teleportation circle. A successful DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check determines the circle leads to the Temple District in Zobeck. When a creature steps into the teleportation circle, it appears in an abandoned shrine in Zobeck’s Temple District. 12. SLAVE CHAMBER Prisoners and slaves are detained within this lightless chamber until they are desired for pleasure or deemed ready for sacrifice. The doors to the room are locked, and the chamber to the south acts as an impromptu guard room when necessary. Several sets of chains and shackles are affixed to the northern and western walls. The room is currently empty, but it bears signs of struggle. Dried droplets of blood are haphazardly drizzled across the stone floor. A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check discovers fresh blood stains and a few strands of auburn hair on one set of manacles. The hair belongs to Rozalyn Turnyr. Locked Door. The door to the chamber is locked; the cultists in the main hall each have a key. Without the key, a successful DC 15 Dexterity check picks the lock, or a successful DC 15 Strength check forces open the door. Concluding the Adventure If the characters successfully rescue Rozalyn Turnyr from captivity before the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies ritual is complete, she gladly testifies against the Red Sister and the cult once she recovers from her drug-induced stupor. Rozalyn is happy to assist in the exoneration of Brik and his kobold kin, and king Koto Crag-Claw is similarly eager to reward the characters with the bounty they were promised. If Rozalyn testifies against the cult and Felixia, Consul Melancha Vendemic also comes forward, supporting the young woman and publicly condemning the actions of the cult. If Melancha escapes the Temple of Marena after completing the ritual by almost killing Rozalyn Turnyr, she begins to question her infatuation with the cult and its suspicious practices—eventually coming to understand and abhor the cult’s clandestine fealty to the Red Sisters. If the characters fail in their attempts to absolve Brik of the alleged crimes or perish during their dangerous journey through the undercity, the Cult of Forbidden Ecstasies continues to influence the politicians of Zobeck, eventually solidifying military support for the Magdar on their eastern borders and a minor alliance between the Blood Kingdom and Zobeck. The distraction of this alliance allows the ghouls to send more agents into the Ironcrags and abduct their quarry. MEET THE DESIGNER Dread Chambers of the Undercity was written by Christopher Lockey. Lockey is a professional warrior-poet and occultist who hails from the black woods of the North Carolina badlands. A career fantasist, Lockey brings decades of broadcast media experience to his role as a tabletop storyteller. Lockey’s RPG work—inspired by the writing of Harlan Ellison, R.E. Howard, and Poe along with the cinema of John Carpenter, Terry Gilliam, and Sir Ridley Scott—seeks to humanely explore worlds both alien and existential. He currently lives in Los Angeles in lasting servitude to the Old Ones.

75 The Holy Robes of Sister Adelind Chapter Background Ten years ago, the undead armies of Morgau and Doresh conquered the Electoral Kingdom of Krakova with help from the elite darakhul troops of the Ghoul Imperium. King Eynryk was assassinated, and Queen Urzula and a handful of other surviving members of the royal family fled into exile as their homeland fell under vampire rule. One royal survivor, the king’s brother Archduke Avgost Walerska, miraculously escaped death at the hands of the ghoul armies in the kingdom’s final days. Radomir Marrowblight, darakhul high priest of Vardesain and close ally of the scheming Duke Morreto Lichmark of the Pure City of Vandekhul, has received a vision from the Hunger God, demanding the capture and sacrifice of Archduke Avgost. In return for the offering of royal blood, the god has promised to reveal the secret of creating darakhul faster and more reliably to Radomir. Determined to carry out his deity’s wishes in spite of setbacks caused by the disruption of his machinations in Zobeck, Radomir assigns the task of finding and abducting the archduke to one of his most capable lieutenants, the darakhul spymaster Vukas Shroudson. Based in the Province of Krakovar as an ambassador to its vampire conquerors, Vukas dispatches agents to search for the

76 archduke in the Ironcrags, the Grand Duchy of Dornig, and in Krakovar itself. Meanwhile, the increased activities of the ghouls and their allies in Zobeck has not gone unnoticed by the city’s patron goddess Rava. The enigmatic Clockwork Oracle awakens and identifies the characters as the optimum group to undertake the quest to recover an obscure relic, the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind. Adelind was a paladin of Sif who died a martyr fighting the undead who invaded Krakova, and her Holy Robes will prove a vital weapon in the battle to stop the evil plots of the ghouls later in the adventure. The quest to find the relic inevitably brings the characters and Archduke Avgost together. Chapter Summary The adventure begins in Zobeck with a summons to the Temple of Rava from the Clockwork Oracle. The characters visit the oracle and are given the quest to track down the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind in Krakovar to frustrate the depraved plans of the ghouls. The characters travel north on the Mountain Road through the Ironcrags to the Black Canton of Grisal where they hope to learn valuable information from the undead-hating dwarves. A run-in with a group of ghouls and cannibal cultists en route provides a new mystery— why is one of them carrying a drawing of Archduke Avgost of Krakova? In Grisal, the characters find out that an order of knights who wage a secret war against the undead in Krakovar might have the Holy Robes in their possession. The characters are told to seek out the temple of Sif in the Free City of Jozht in the Wolfmark to track down the order. While gathering information in Grisal, the characters discover they aren’t the first to find a patrol of ghouls looking for Archduke Avgost, and they draw the unwanted attention of a darakhul spy, who sends agents to tail them. They meet with the Court-in-Exile in Kariessen to warn the archduke of the ghoul patrols. Here, if the characters make a good impression on the Court, they are offered the chance to escort Archduke Avgost to Jozht where he is due to meet with the dwarves of the Wolfmark to discuss an alliance against the vampires. The characters and Avgost use a fey road to travel north, emerging at the Stone Galleries, an ancient elven ruin, where Vukas Shroudson’s ghoul minions lie in wait to abduct the archduke. After frustrating the kidnapping attempt, the characters sneak through enemy territory in Krakovar and get the noble safely over the border into Jozht. Bidding farewell to the archduke, the characters visit Sif ’s temple where they learn that an order of knights, known as the Spear Maidens of Hope, revere the site of Adelind’s martyrdom at Yarosbirg, and members of the order can likely be found there on the anniversary of the saint’s death. At Yarosbirg, the characters help the Spear Maidens defeat a band of Ghost Knights. Afterwards, they learn that several Spear Maidens, along with the Holy Robes, have been seized and taken to the fortress of Orzelbirg. The characters must get inside the castle, save the captured Spear Maidens from being transformed into ghouls, and retrieve the Holy Robes. Beginning the Chapter: The Clockwork Oracle The characters have a few days of downtime to rest and recuperate after their exploits in the Cartways, but it isn’t long before adventure comes calling again. Lena Ravovik, high priestess of Rava, dispatches one of her trusted acolytes, a gearforged priest named Pious (LN male gearforged acolyte), to track down the characters at their lodgings or in their favorite tavern. Pious is a tall, gangly gearforged of brass and wood. He wears the red and gold robes of Rava’s clergy and has a bronze spider hanging around his neck—one of the holy symbols of the Gear Goddess. In a tinny, mechanical voice, Pious excitedly asks the characters to accompany him to the Temple of Rava to meet with the high priestess on a matter of the utmost importance. He does not elaborate initially, but, if pressed, reveals that the Clockwork Oracle spat out a piece of paper with the characters’ names on it. “This,” he says, “is most unprecedented.” A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check knows the Clockwork Oracle is a mysterious mechanical device with a face of gears and wheels, located in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Rava. From time to time, the Oracle issues cryptic pronouncements to petitioners in the name of the Gear Goddess. Characters native to Zobeck automatically succeed on this check. CONSULTING THE ORACLE Pious escorts the characters through the city to the Temple District and the Gear Goddess’ temple: a distinctive metallic building with brass-bound iron doors and a green copper roof. Two hulking iron automatons, steam golems (Tome of Beasts, p. 237) with axe blades welded to their metal arms and steam emitting from chimneys connected to their boiler-like torsos, guard the entrance. The gearforged acolyte leads the characters up the steps, past the golems, and into the open Hall of the

77 Patroness. Examples of the city’s ingenious craftsmanship and paintings of Zobeck, its founding, and its history adorn the walls. The hall is busy with anxious supplicants hoping to consult the Clockwork Oracle on matters of personal importance. Pious ushers the characters through the throng to the front, ignoring the protests of wealthy merchants and arrogant nobles alike. Lena Ravovik (LN female human), High Priestess of Rava Among the Humans, stands at the foot of the astonishing rotating mechanical pulpit in the Shrine of Fate and Foresight, home to the Clockwork Oracle. Wise and composed, Lena is dressed in gold, red, and blue robes with a splendid golden geared headdress, and she holds a slender iron staff topped with Rava’s red and gold gear holy symbol. She politely thanks the characters for coming and pulls them away from the crowd. She then explains why they have been summoned: “Today is one of the high holy days when the Gear Goddess herself inhabits the Clockwork Oracle and makes pronouncements to a select few. Word soon gets around that the Oracle is ready to speak, and, as you can see, we are inundated with supplicants. As priests of Rava, our role is to determine who is worthy of an audience. Shortly after midnight last night, the Clockwork Oracle awoke and whirred into activity and produced this…” Lena hands the characters a long, narrow strip of paper with their names neatly printed on it. “This scroll appeared in the Oracle’s mouth; we found it coiled up, resting on its wooden tongue. We asked around and learned that the names belonged to the valiant adventurers who recently put an end to the evil plots of the Blood Sisters and their ghoul allies beneath the city. Now, Pious has brought you here to speak with the Clockwork Oracle as it seems it has something it needs to tell you. Come, follow me, and hear what it has to say.” Lena leads the party down a short flight of steps beneath the pulpit to the inner sanctum that holds the Clockwork Oracle, Pious bringing up the rear. The sharp tang of metal and oil fills the air of the cramped, low-ceilinged chamber. The back wall is covered in silver dials and actuators, golden balance wheels, and bronze pistons and gears. Together, these components form a giant face. The Oracle’s mouth opens and it speaks in a rasping, mechanical voice: “They are here. Good…” The Clockwork Oracle falls silent, apparently waiting. Lena whispers to the characters that they should ask the Clockwork Oracle one or more questions they want answered. She warns that it normally only answers one question from each supplicant and cautions them to consider their words carefully before speaking. “Then again,” she says, “this whole business is rather odd, so perhaps the usual rules do not apply.” Here are some likely questions and the Clockwork Oracle’s answers; the oracle doesn’t elaborate further on these rather brief (and uncharacteristically direct) responses. If a character asks something completely different, perhaps related to the character’s personal life or past, feel free to have the oracle give a suitably cryptic answer or not answer at all. If one of the characters is gearforged and asks a question in Machine Speech, the Clockwork Oracle responds in the whistling, clicking language. Why have you summoned us here? “The ghouls are stirring in their tunnels beneath the earth and will soon rise. They must be stopped or Zobeck will merely be the first of many to fall.”

78 Why are the ghouls rising? “They hunger for flesh, and their hunger cannot be sated.” How can we stop the ghouls? “Recover the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind. Use it to stop the dark wedding then defeat the leader of the ghoul uprising.” Where can we find these robes? “Seek the robes in the fallen kingdom of the mermaid.” Why us? “Fate has decreed it.” Once the Clockwork Oracle has imparted the information above, its gears, wheels, and dials spin round rapidly, whirring, clanking, and rattling, for about thirty seconds. Then it gives out a high-pitched double whistle and goes dormant. Development With the audience over, Lena leads the characters back upstairs to the temple. She tells them that since the Gear Goddess has charged them with a quest in service to the city, she will aid them in any way she can. She offers the following important information. Alternatively, the characters can succeed on DC 15 Intelligence (History or Religion) checks to recall this knowledge. • Sister Adelind was a shield maiden of Sif who fought against the undead of Morgau at Yarosbirg in Krakova, slaying the notorious vampire lord Otmar the Sallow before dying heroically in battle ten years ago. She has since become a symbol of hope and defiance to those who stand against the vampires and has been declared a martyr by Queen-in-Exile Urzula of Krakova. • The “fallen kingdom of the mermaid” is a reference to the Electoral Kingdom of Krakova, conquered by the vampires of Morgau ten years ago and now one third of the Greater Duchy of Morgau, Doresh, and Krakovar, the so-called Blood Kingdom. The dwarves of the Black Canton of Grisal in the Ironcrag Mountains have been battling the undead of Morgau and Doresh for centuries and possess a wealth of knowledge on ghouls and vampires. Lena recommends the characters travel to Grisal and ask the dwarves about the Holy Robes and where they might be found. Zobeck-born characters should realize the importance of a quest assigned by the Oracle and the consequences of refusing to carry it out—exile is a certainty, being accosted by zealous gearforged for sacrilege is a likelihood. Other characters may not appreciate the significance of what they are being asked. To ensure Rava’s will isn’t ignored, Lena offers the characters 2,000 gp as an incentive to undertake the quest. The Mountain Road The journey from Zobeck to Grisal takes the characters northward on the Mountain Road for over 400 miles, a trip of around 18 days. The route passes through the Freehold of Obertal and into the Ironcrags. As the road climbs up past the ruined dwarfhold of Silbertal, abandoned mines dot the hills and side valleys, and the countryside grows wilder and more dangerous, with goblins, bandits, and worse a threat to travelers and mule trains. Small dwarfholds, shepherd’s huts, and other places along the route offer shelter at night from the rain and the cold. Beyond the Gunnacks Pass, the road divides at the fork, heading west to Kubourg and Salzbach, northwest to Nordmansch and Hirschberg, and north to Grisal and beyond into Krakovar. As the characters enter the lands of the Black Canton of Grisal, encounters with the undead grow more likely. The characters experience two planned encounters on the trip north, on or around day 4 (see Griffon Mountain Shakedown) and day 15 (see A Grisly Feast). You can use a travel montage to fast forward through the rest of the trip or you can spice up the journey with a few random encounters using the Random Encounters in the Ironcrags table. GRIFFON MOUNTAIN SHAKEDOWN Shortly after the characters pass by Obersteinau Mine, two winged shapes appear from a small fort situated on a hill up ahead. This is the Freehold of Obertal, which is under the command of a married pair of Griffon Knights of Zobeck, Sir Gismondo and Lady Edeltraud. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check identifies the two shapes as Griffon Knights from some distance away. The two griffons swoop down at high speed, one landing just in front of the characters, the other immediately behind. Sir Gismondo (CG male elfmarked knight) and Lady Edeltraud (CN female human knight) are devout followers of the war gods. Bored by their posting, they enjoy shaking down innocent travelers for money, demanding tolls, and sometimes inventing ridiculous taxes for things such as possession of a longbow or wearing a hat on a Moonday, in the hope the travelers either pay up or pick a fight. The mischievous knights demand 100 gp to pass through their lands but can be persuaded to let the party off the toll with a successful DC 20 Charisma check. Approaches such as revealing that the characters are on a mission to save Zobeck from the ghouls (Persuasion), threatening to report the pair to their superiors (Intimidation), or downright lies (Deception) could all prove effective. The characters have advantage on the check if they mention the Clockwork Oracle or for creative roleplaying, at your discretion.

79 Random Encounters in the Ironcrags d20 Encounter 1 1 bereginyas (Tome of Beasts, p. 36) 2 1 kot bayun (Tome of Beasts, p. 268) 3 1d4 giant vultures 4 1d4 + 1 ghouls 5 1d2 ogres 6 1d4 giant eagles 7 1d6 giant goats 8 Rowdy canton mercenaries: 1 dwarf veteran and 5 guards 9 2d6 kobold miners 10 Dwarven mule train: 2d6 dwarf guards and 2d4 mules 11 Bandits: 1 bandit captain and 2d4 bandits 12 2d6 goats or sheep (use goat statistics) 13 2d6 wolves 14 1d4 dogmoles (Tome of Beasts p. 120) 15 1 bugbear and 1d4 + 4 goblins 16 Griffon Knight: a knight mounted on a griffon 17 A short trail leads off the road to the boarded-up entrance of an abandoned mine where a megapede (Creature Codex, p. 266) has taken up residence. 18 1d2 griffons 19 1 manticore or wyvern 20 1 fellforged (Tome of Beasts p. 182) characters rather than kill them, knocking a character unconscious if they reduce a character to 0 hit points. Award full experience points if the characters defeat the Griffon Knights in battle or persuade them to let the characters pass without handing over a toll. If the characters fight the knights and lose, award half the experience points. A GRISLY FEAST This encounter occurs halfway between Gunnacks and Grisal, at a point where the road runs closely alongside the River Argent as it passes through a steep gorge. It is late in the day and the characters are looking for a suitable spot to camp when they spot a group of humanoids about 200 feet ahead. The humanoids seem to be crouching over a couple of bodies on the ground by the side of the road. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check determines that at least two of the figures are ghouls and that the group is feasting on the flesh of the prone victims. The distant humanoids are a darakhul (Tome of Beasts, p. 216), a ghoul, and three human procurers (see page 322)—cannibal cultists of the Creed of All Flesh. The humans and ghoul are distracted with the feast, lowering their passive Perception scores to 8; however, the darakhul is alert for trouble and has a passive Perception of 11. Silas Gristlemaw (NE male human darakhul) leads the group. His orders from his master, Vukas Shroudson, are to patrol the area around Grisal in disguise. Silas carries a rolled parchment with a charcoal sketch of Archduke Avgost of Krakova in his satchel and has been instructed by Vukas to find the man in the sketch. Silas is dressed in traveler’s clothes, using his Master of Disguise trait and a wig to appear human. His ghoul henchman wears a hooded monk’s robe to conceal its undead features. The If the characters don’t pay up, the griffon knights try to take the coin by force. Sir Gismondo and Lady Edeltraud are knights mounted on griffons. Replace the knight’s Parry reaction with the following: Knight’s Riposte. When a creature the knight can see hits the knight or its griffon with a melee attack, the knight can use its reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the creature. The knights enjoy a scrap, but they try not to let things get out of hand. If one of the knights or griffons takes more than 20 damage, Sir Gismondo and Lady Edeltraud withdraw from combat—“We were just joshing with you. No harm, no foul!”—and allow the characters to be on their way. Alternatively, if a character is reduced to half its hit points or lower, the knights stop fighting and offer the party a second chance to pay the toll—“You’re clearly outmatched. Better cough up!”—resuming battle if the characters refuse. The knights seek to incapacitate the

80 group has remained undetected until now, but, when they ran into a pair of dwarven goat herders, they couldn’t resist feeding on the dwarves. If captured and interrogated, Silas can be persuaded to reveal his orders with a successful DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check. As the characters question him, his eyes roam over their bodies lasciviously, as if imagining how they taste. Silas is crafty and evasive, but doesn’t know who the man in the drawing is or why the man is important—only that the man is a person of considerable interest to his master, Vukas Shroudson. Treasure Silas has 75 sp, 125 gp, and 10 pale blue moonstones (worth 50 gp each) in a leather pouch. Most of the coins are square silver dwarfmarks and golden ruppen minted in the Ironcrags, but a handful are gold skulls and silver ducats from the Ghoul Imperium, which bear the head of Emperor Nicoforus on the obverse. Development One of the dead shepherds, a dwarf named Dorrim, wears a small gold nugget on a chain around his neck (a gift from his father worth 10 gp). If the characters bury the remains of the two dwarves and return the heirloom to Dorrim’s family, they earn the thanks of his wife Beldrid (NG female dwarf). Beldrid lives in the small village of Stromberg along the Mountain Road toward Grisal, half a day’s travel from where the characters encountered Silas. Through her tears, she tells them that this is the third such attack this month. “But we thought the threat had passed,” she says. “Havard Glimmerstone and his men took care of the ghouls responsible a week ago.” Beldrid tells them Havard is a graveslayer based at the Halls of Grisal, in case the characters want to talk to him. The Black Canton Probably the most infamous of the thirteen Free Cantons of the Ironcrags, the so-called “Black Canton” of Grisal is claimed by both the Grand Duchy of Dornig and the Greater Duchy of Morgau, Doresh, and Krakovar, but it remains fiercely independent. Grisal recently joined the Argentine Alliance with Zobeck and the Magdar Kingdom, vowing to stand shoulder to shoulder with its allies against the threat posed by the vampire King Lucan across the border to the east. Grisal is very much a dwarven land, although a significant number of humans and goblins also make their homes in the canton. The inhabitants are renowned for their piety. Volund and his son, the solar god Khors, are held in high esteem along with Grajava the Shield Maiden (a mask of Sif), Wotan, and Thor-Perun. One tenth of the canton’s dwarves are clerics, paladins, or servants of the temples in some fashion. Under the bold leadership of Enzali Hackel (LG male dwarf), Dwarflord of the Halls of Grisal and Defender of the North, the canton stands firm against undead invaders coming over the mountains from the Blood Kingdom. The Graveslayers, an elite group of undead-slaying warriors and pious servants of Khors, conduct frequent daylight raids into the Grisal Marches to battle the skeletons and zombies of the Blood Kingdom, both in the mountains and beyond in the infamous Zombie Wood of Zwargau. Those who fail to return to the canton by nightfall are sometimes seen again as black-armored foot soldiers in the armies of Morgau. When the characters near the Halls of Grisal, they are met by a patrol whose surcoats bear the emblem of the canton: a round, silver shield on a black field. The patrol consists of Veldrin Harmek (LG male dwarf graveslayer [Creature Codex, p. 400]) and 10 dwarf guards. Veldrin is stony-faced and distrustful of strangers, particularly non-dwarves, and questions the characters robustly before letting them pass. If the characters mention their run-in with the darakhul and succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check, Veldrin’s frosty attitude thaws a little. He tells them Captain Brogan Bonebasher is the best person to ask for information on ghouls when they reach the dwarfhold. THE HALLS OF GRISAL Like other dwarfholds in the Ironcrags, the Halls of Grisal is an impressive above-ground fortress built into the side of a mountain. It has a dozen or so subterranean levels, which hold armories, vaults, storerooms, and mines accessible by a great, central staircase. Visitors to the Halls of Grisal are allowed to visit the upper levels; the floors below ground are restricted to canton citizens. A village of around twenty wooden houses lies in the Halls’ shadow, home to those dwarves who make a living from herding goats and sheep and making the canton’s famous nutty cheese. Two giant stone statues of legendary dwarven heroes flank the entrance to the Halls. Jalrik Coppersmelt, a stern-faced male warrior clad in plate armor, stands on the left with a mighty warhammer resting between his feet. Delenya Hurzak, a female paladin wearing an ornate helmet and bearing a shield emblazoned with the symbol of the sun god Khors, stands to the right, holding a battle axe aloft. A successful DC 17 Intelligence (History) check recognizes the statues and recalls that each of them led successful campaigns against the living dead. Dwarf characters have advantage on this check. Between these imposing statues, the huge, open doors of the stronghold lead into the Great Hall, a vast public space with a high, vaulted ceiling supported by sturdy pillars inscribed with the laws of the canton in Dwarven. The walls

81 are inscribed with hundreds of names—a lengthy list of those dwarves who have died in battle with Grisal’s undead enemies. The hall is busy with the comings and goings of merchants, traders, heavily-armed soldiers, paladins, and priests. Though many of Midgard’s races are present in the Great Hall, the majority of its inhabitants are dwarves. Archways lead off the hall to various shops and other establishments, including the Dented Tankard, a tavern popular with military patrols returning from duty, and an inn, the Cunning Shield-Maiden, patronized by merchants and other travelers. Both offer no-nonsense dwarven hospitality and excellent beer at reasonable prices. Once the characters have had a chance to get their bearings, they can talk to the locals to follow up on any leads they have gathered. Most dwarves in the Halls of Grisal are polite but indifferent to the characters, but declaring themselves to be enemies of the undead and buying a few beers gets the characters the names of three people who can help them: the graveslayers Havard Glimmerstone and Brogan Bonebasher and the Septime priest Arjalo Maccioni. While the characters are making their enquiries, the character with the highest Wisdom (Insight) check has an uncomfortable feeling that he or she is being watched. The character is unable to discern the source as the area is filled with people. Havard Glimmerstone Havard Glimmerstone (LG male dwarf graveslayer) is a grizzled dwarf who leads regular patrols between Grisal and Gunnacks. Prone to gallows humor, he keeps himself mildly inebriated at all times to cope with the horrible things he has seen. If the characters ask for him, they are directed to the Graveslayer’s barracks off the Great Hall. Havard retires to the barracks each evening after his patrol for a quiet dinner and a few drinks in the common room. If the characters tell him what they saw on the road into Grisal, he tells the characters that his men dealt with a similar group of deranged humans led by a disguised darakhul a week ago after the group killed and ate a farmer’s daughter. “They were trying to act like regular travelers, but she was such a tasty morsel that their foul appetites must have got the better of them.” The darakhul was carrying a charcoal sketch of a man. He takes a piece of parchment out of his pocket, unfolds it, and shows it to the characters. The sketch is identical to the one they found in Silas Gristlemaw’s satchel. “I don’t know who this is, but that mustache looks Krakovan. He’s definitely a noble of some sort,” he says. “Lots of Krakovans coming over the border and seeking sanctuary at the Black Fortress. Old Jaro Whitebeard’s got his hands full, but he might know who this is.” Brogan Bonebasher If the characters ask around after Captain Brogan Bonebasher (NG male dwarf graveslayer) by name or if they ask for an expert on ghouls in general, they are directed to the Dented Tankard, where a grim-faced dwarf with a jet black beard is sitting at a table in animated discussion with two other dwarven soldiers, Joric and Delgur (both NG male dwarf guards). If the characters approach, the captain is initially irritated by their interruption and speaks tersely, demanding they be quick. If the characters explain they want to talk to him about ghouls or Holy Robes, Brogan nods to them to sit down. He explains he and his companions are the only survivors from a hard-fought skirmish with the undead warriors of Doresh three days ago, and they are discussing returning to the site of the conflict to retrieve the bodies of their slain comrades. Brogan tells them the following: “I’ve been fighting zombies, skeletons, ghouls and worse in the Grisal Marches for years. I can tell you a fair bit about how to defeat the living dead, but I don’t know much about Krakovan saints and their relics. I can tell you who

82 does, though—Trehild Shardspike. She’s dedicated her life to studying our enemies across the border in the Blood Kingdom. Her study is six levels down from here, and she won’t talk to strangers, particularly non-dwarves, without an introduction. You look like you can handle yourselves in a fight. If you help me bring back my men’s bodies, I’ll take you to see her. How does that sound?” If the characters agree to go with Brogan to recover the bodies, he cheers heartily and advises them to get a good night’s sleep, as the group leaves early the next morning for the Grisal Marches. See Raid Into Doresh for details on Brogan’s mission. Ajarlo Maccioni Although the paladins, graveslayers, and priests of the Halls have heard the story of Sister Adelind’s bravery and martyrdom, no one knows about her Holy Robes. Such enquiries lead the characters to Ajarlo Maccioni (CN male human priest), a smooth-talking Septime priest of Thor-Perun and peddler of fake relics to gullible mercenaries (Deception +5). The charlatan offers Sister Adelind’s finger bone to the characters, starting at the outrageous price of 500 gp that the characters can haggle down to 50 gp with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. He claims the “relic” is all that survived of Adelind and that the ghouls ate everything else. The enameled wooden box holding the finger bone is worth 10 gp; the bone itself is worthless. RAID INTO DORESH Captain Brogan Bonebasher, together with Joric and Delgur, meet the characters in the Great Hall at dawn. Delgur leads a string of six mules. The journey passes in near silence, barring the odd word of encouragement from Delgur to the animals and Joric’s tuneless humming. Brogan, in particular, seems lost in thought and responds brusquely to attempts by the characters to engage in conversation. The dwarves guide the characters on narrow trails east through wooded mountainous terrain toward the Grisal Marches and over the Doreshi border. On the trip, they cross fast-flowing mountain streams and scramble up and down treacherous slopes as they trudge toward their destination. At the campfire that evening, Brogan leads the others in a prayer to Khors for their recently-fallen comrades and those lost in battles earlier this year. The list of names is so long that it takes him ten minutes to recite all of them. Late on the second day, the group reaches a large, grassy area strewn with giant boulders. Several dwarf bodies are lying on the ground. Brogan notes that half of the dwarves are missing, which isn’t a good sign. He encourages the characters and his team to move quickly before whatever took the bodies returns. There are four, armored dwarf bodies remaining, which have been lying outside for a few days and have started to decompose. Wrapping them in shrouds and strapping them to the backs of the mules is unpleasant work. Each character that moves a body must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute from nausea. Brogan and his men have advantage on their saving throws as this is gruesome work they undertake often. To make matters worse, the mules become skittish at the stench of death. Each mule must be held still while a body is loaded on, which requires a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. Shortly after the dwarves and characters enter the area and begin their work, they come under attack from a band of undead, consisting of two corrupted dwarf graveslayers (Creature Codex, p. 401) and six zombies. Brogan cries out in anguish as he recognizes several of his fallen comrades among them. One corrupted graveslayer and two zombies attack the dwarves, leaving the characters to deal with the rest. The battle panics the already nervous mules and they flee. Brogan and his men dispatch the undead that came for them at the same time the characters defeat their own enemies. If the characters have difficulty defeating their enemies, Brogan instructs Delgur and Joric to aid the characters, facing his former comrades himself. Development Once the battle is over, the characters and dwarves can round up the mules, load up the bodies, and return to Grisal without further excitement. A grateful Brogan promises to take the characters to see Trehild Shardspike as soon as they are ready, and he gives them a black shield of Grisal (see page 256) as further thanks for their help, hoping it will aid them in their own quest against the undead. THE SAGE Once the characters are ready to meet with Trehild, Brogan takes them to the huge, ironbound doors leading from the Great Hall to the Grand Staircase. He vouches for them with the guards, who open the doors, then leads them down the stairs past several floors to a small, unmarked door on a landing. Brogan knocks three times, then once more before pushing the door. Read or paraphrase the following: The smell of old, dusty books hangs thick in the air in this large study. Its walls are covered from floor to ceiling with bulging bookshelves. Tomes, scrolls, and loose papers are piled on top of more books on the shelves, on the floor, and on every available surface. In the few places where

83 there are no books, there are bizarre and grotesque items instead—a ghoul’s misshapen skull, a withered human hand, a pair of shriveled eyes floating in liquid in a glass vessel. A female dwarf of advanced years, her beard grey and wispy, peers over the top of her horn-rimmed spectacles. She is munching on a pickled egg she has plucked from a jar that sits alarmingly close to the jar of eyes. “Yes, what is it? You’ll have to speak up dear; I’m rather deaf!” This is Trehild Shardspike (NG female dwarf), an expert in undead lore and, in particular, the undead of the Greater Duchy of Morgau, Doresh, and Krakovar. She answers the characters’ questions, as long as they speak their questions loudly into her ear trumpet. Trehild confirms the existence of the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind: “After she slew the vampire lord Otmar the Sallow at Yarosbirg, the brave shield maiden was surrounded by a pack of slavering ghouls. Adelind impaled two of them with a single thrust of her radiant spear, then drew her longsword to take care of the rest. As the feral ghouls grabbed and clawed at her, one of them tore off part of the hem of the bright blue robe she wore beneath her chainmail. Sister Adelind fought valiantly on, but there were just too many foes. The ghouls pulled her to the ground and feasted on her body.” “After the battle, one of Adelind’s fellow shield maidens who survived the fight found the scrap from Adelind’s robe in the mud. She retrieved the piece of cloth and fled into hiding. Later, the faithful followers of Sif placed the Holy Robes inside a reliquary to keep them safe. When the paladin bearing the relic came under attack from a pack of ghouls, she was able to unleash the newly awakened divine powers of the Holy Robes to destroy them.” Trehild does not know where the Holy Robes are located now but thinks they might remain in the possession of an order of knights of Sif who wage guerilla warfare against the undead in Krakovar. The knights operate in secret, but the sage believes the priests at the Temple of the Shield Maiden in the Free City of Jozht in the Wolfmark might know how to contact them. Trehild speculates that the Electoral Kingdom’s Court-in-Exile might also know the knights’ whereabouts as Queen Urzula has been seeking allies wherever she can find them. The Court moves from place to place and is currently hiding somewhere in the Grand Duchy of Dornig. Jaro Whitebeard at the Black Fortress may be privy to the Court’s location. Since the Black Fortress is just two days’ travel north of Grisal, she suggests the characters try asking Jaro and the Court-in-Exile about the knights before making the long, dangerous trek into the Wolfmark. If the characters have general questions about the undead, Trehild does her best to answer them. She has heard of Vukas Shroudson. She knows he is a darakhul shadowmancer and spymaster in Radomir Marrowblight’s service, and she knows Radomir Marrowblight is a high priest of Vardesain, the Hunger God. Beyond this, Trehild is unable to shed any light on the recent rise in ghoul activity and does not recognize the man in the charcoal sketch if the characters show it to her. When they have exhausted their questions, the sage wishes the heroes the best of luck on their quest and bids them farewell. THE BLACK FORTRESS Two days travel from Grisal, the Black Fortress keeps the canton safe from both Dornig to the north and the new Blood Kingdom province of Krakovar to the northeast. Its veteran commander, General Jaro Whitebeard (LN male dwarf), keeps his troops battle-ready by mounting occasional raids towards Gybick, but lately dealing with the large influx of Krakovan refugees has consumed his every waking hour. Although Jaro is busy and very tired, he finds time to meet with the characters, especially if they were sent by Brogan Bonebasher or Trehild Shardspike who vouch for them. The commander is a grey-haired, white-bearded, softly-spoken dwarf with a face lined from worry. Jaro has heard of an order of knights of Sif who operate covertly in Krakovar, but he doesn’t know how to contact them. Though he agrees that Queen Urzula might have information on the knights, he is hesitant to share any information about the Court-in-Exile’s whereabouts with strangers. If shown the charcoal sketch, he instantly identifies its subject as Archduke Avgost Walerska of Krakova, brother of the late King Eynryk. He says that a similar scroll was found on a darakhul agent his troops apprehended a few days ago. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check recalls that Archduke Avgost was in the city of Wallenbirg during the invasion of Krakova and was presumed dead until news emerged that he had joined Queen Urzula in exile in the Grand Duchy of Dornig. The sketches from the characters, Havard Glimmerstone’s patrol, and Jaro’s troops prove to Jaro that the Ghoul Imperium seems to be taking an active interest in Avgost. He isn’t sure why the Imperium might want the archduke,

84 but he believes Avgost should be warned. His dilemma is that he needs every dwarf he has to deal with the undead threats to the northeast and the refugees flooding into Grisal. The characters appear to be a good solution to Jaro’s dilemma, but he tells them where they can find the archduke and the Court-in-Exile only if he trusts them. Jaro trusts the characters if Brogan Bonebasher (who he has battled alongside) or Trehild Shardspike (whose knowledge he often seeks) vouched for them. Otherwise, the characters must agree to a test. After all, what proof does Jaro have that the characters are who they say they are and aren’t in league with the ghouls who are seeking the archduke? If the characters agree to Jaro’s test, he goes over to an iron anvil standing in the corner of his office. He taps it three times with the butt of his axe, and the horse-head symbol of Volund on the anvil glows softly. Each creature in the room must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw as the anvil activates a zone of truth in the room. Jaro is attuned to the anvil and can choose whether or not to be affected by it. For the next 10 minutes, Jaro asks the characters about their quest in an attempt to establish their integrity. To convince Jaro of their integrity, at least one character must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the character failed the saving throw for the zone of truth, the character has advantage on the check. If the characters mention their fight against the machinations of ghouls in Zobeck, their visit with the Clockwork Oracle, or their quest for Adelind’s Holy Robes, the DC to convince Jaro is reduced to 10. If he’s convinced, he reveals that the Court-in-Exile are currently hiding in the castle of House Karanto in Kariessen. He provides a letter of introduction to the archduke, who he knows from “the good old days” when his troops had minor skirmishes with the Krakovans instead of giving them shelter. The Archduke The small Dornitian city of Kariessen lies 100 miles or so to the north of the Black Fortress as the crow flies. It takes the characters around eight days to get to Kariessen, with the foothills of the Ironcrags greatly slowing their travel before they reach the open plains around the city. Use the Random Encounters on the Dornig-Krakovar Border table to enliven the characters’ travel to Kariessen. GHOULISH STALKER Unfortunately for the characters, their enquiries among the dwarves of Grisal have drawn the unwanted attention of informants working for the Ghoul Imperium. A spy is on their tail as they travel to Kariessen. This spy, Dejana Fleshhound (NE female human darakhul spy [see page 291]), aims to shadow the characters as long as she can without being detected and to report their activities and conversations to the darakhul spymaster, Vukas Shroudson. Dejana keeps her distance in order to remain undetected, but every so often she gets too close and the characters have a chance to become aware of her presence. Each day after the characters leave Grisal, roll a Dexterity (Stealth) check for Dejana against a DC equal to the group’s highest passive Perception score. If Dejana fails, one or more characters believe there is someone following them, as they glimpse movement or get an uncomfortable sense that they are being watched. If Dejana fails by 5 or more, the characters clearly see someone following them. If she realizes she’s been spotted, Dejana ducks out of sight into dense foliage or behind an obstacle such as a large tree or rock, and she keeps still to avoid detection, hoping to slip quietly away when the characters have moved on. If there is nowhere suitable to hide or the characters see her, she attempts to pass herself off as a starving Krakovan refugee in dire need of food but too frightened to approach Random Encounters on the Dornig-Krakovar Border d12 Encounter 1-2 Krakovan refugees: 2d4 commoners fleeing to Kariessen or the Black Fortress 3-4 Dornitian patrol: 1 elfmarked mage and 8 guards demand to know the characters' reasons for traveling into Dornig. 5 1d2 ogres 6 1d4 + 2 harpies 7 1d3 ettercaps or 1d2 wind weasels (Creature Codex, p. 375) 8 2d4 antelopes (use deer statistics) 9 1d2 green hags or 1 azeban (Creature Codex, p. 44) 10-11 Krakovan patrol: 1d4 + 1 ghouls (night) or 1 Red Sister (see page 324) with 6 cultists (day) 12 1 chimera

85 the group to ask for help. Dejana wears a wig and has advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks to appear as a living creature. If the characters see through the ruse, she attempts to flee, only engaging in combat as a last resort. Loyal to her master and the Hunger Cult, she tells the characters nothing if captured. If Dejana is able to follow the characters all the way to Kariessen without being detected, she sends word of the group’s movements to Vukas Shroudson. If the characters go on to travel north with Archduke Avgost using the fey road, she loses the trail, but she can reappear later in the adventure to dog the characters’ heels again as they travel through Krakovar. THE COURT-IN-EXILE The population of the border town of Kariessen has swelled sixfold due to the influx of refugees, and a huge camp of displaced people surrounds the city. Dornitian soldiers patrol the small city and its large encampment, ever watchful for signs of the undead, who intermittently raid Kariessen and those seeking refuge in it. The castle of House Kavanto stands on a hill in the center of the small city. Its large, round tower topped with a conical roof is easily visible from the gates. If the characters show the letter to Archduke Avgost from Jaro Whitebeard to the guards outside the castle’s gates, they are allowed inside after a brief interval. Otherwise, they must succeed on a DC 18 Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check to convince the guards to allow them entry into the castle. After being kept waiting for an hour or so in an antechamber, the characters are shown into the castle’s great hall, where Alzano Kavanto (LN male human), ruler of Kariessen, sits alongside Queen Urzula (LG female human) of Krakova, her brother-in-law Archduke Avgost (LN male human; see page 315 for his statistics), and her daughter Zosia (LN female human) at a long table of polished oak. Just before the characters arrived at the castle, the Court-in-Exile was discussing a covert expedition to the Free City of Jozht in the Wolfmark, the northern part of the former Electoral Kingdom of Krakova which is now under the control of the reaver dwarves. Archduke Avgost plans to meet with the dwarven leaders and solicit their support in the war to come against the vampires ruling Krakovar. Clearly recognizable from the charcoal sketch the characters found, the archduke has Jaro Whitebeard’s letter open on the table in front of him. The characters are introduced to those present by Lord Kavanto and are invited to relate their story. If the characters are able to make a favorable enough impression, they are invited to accompany the archduke on his trip to Jozht. Once there, they can visit the Temple of the Shield Maiden with the Court’s blessing and learn where to find the knights of Sif and the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind. Play out the conversation between the characters and the Court. If you are using the optional Status rules (Midgard Worldbook, p. 25), the character with the highest Status is seen as the de facto party leader by the members of the KRAKOVA COAT OF ARMS

86 Court, and they address the majority of their questions directly to that character. The NPCs are described below. Each begins the interaction with a starting attitude of indifferent but the characters can change this to friendly by winning the NPC’s favor and showing due deference to the noble. During the interaction, the characters can attempt to determine an NPC’s motivations by succeeding on a DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. They can use the information gained to attempt to steer the conversation in the right direction and gain the NPC’s favor. A character with the Krakovan Rebel background (Midgard Heroes Handbook, p. 111) has advantage on this check and on checks to interact with the Court. Queen Urzula of Krakova is a calm, composed, and elegant middle-aged woman. Dressed in robes of cream and gold and wearing a gold crown hung with three strings of pearls which frame her face, she looks every inch a monarch. Having fled to Dornig to seek the support of the Beloved Imperatrix, she was disappointed at being repeatedly rebuffed for several years by the Imperatrix who was hesitant to send troops to Urzula’s aid. When the Imperatrix slipped into a comatose state, Urzula saw the prospect of securing military aid from Dornig fade. Motivation. Urzula hasn’t given up hopes of returning to her kingdom at the head of an army and liberating it from vampire rule. Responsible for declaring Sister Adelind a martyr, Urzula regards her as an inspirational symbol of the battle for freedom and is interested in any information regarding the warrior. Winning Favor. Once Urzula hears of the Holy Robes of Adelind, she is eager to find out if they can be used against the undead. After hearing of the charcoal sketches found on the darakhul, she becomes worried for Avgost’s safety. Always on the lookout for allies against the undead that have invaded her home, Urzula is the first to believe and side with the characters, provided they speak openly of their quest for the Holy Robes and the sketch they found. Archduke Avgost Walerska (see page 315), brother of the late Krakovan King Eynryk, has an impressive, curved mustache and short, curly, brown hair, and he wears a breastplate beneath his furred cape. Before the fall of Krakova, the archduke had a reputation for being both devious and ruthless among the Slahta, the nobles responsible for electing the king; however, coming close to death at Wallenbirg changed Avgost for the better. Convinced Perun was behind his lucky escape, he swore an oath to the war god that he would rid his homeland of the vampires. He is determined to win the support of the reaver dwarves who he believes are the army Krakova needs to defeat the undead. Motivation. The archduke is just as arrogant as he was before Krakova fell, and, while he is grateful to the characters for warning him of the interest shown in him by the ghouls, he doesn’t believe that a few ghoul patrols pose a real threat to him.

87 Winning Favor. A character must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom (Survival), or Charisma (Persuasion) check to convince the archduke of the dangers of the ghouls by describing the ghouls’ combat prowess, their inexhaustible supply of allies, that the terrain in the area is filled with plenty of prime ambush locations, or some other major danger to the archduke’s safety, at your discretion. A character who has won Alzano Kavanto’s favor has advantage on this check as Alzano aids the character in encouraging the archduke to take caution in dealing with the ghouls. Zosia Walerska, the queen’s daughter, is a priestess of Wotan. She wears her long, black hair in a warrior’s pony tail, and a silver holy symbol of the World Tree Yggdrasil hangs around her neck. Wise and insightful, Zosia questions the characters vigorously and is likely to see through any half-truths or gaps in their story (Insight +8). Motivation. Zosia hates the undead with a passion and is well-disposed to those who share her fervor. Winning Favor. A character can win her favor by succeeding on a DC 12 Intelligence (Religion) check and relating the story of Wotan’s constant, but always successful, battles with giantkind, which mirror the character’s own struggles and victories to defeat the undead. Alternatively, a character can win her favor by succeeding on a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check while speaking passionately against the undead or of previous exploits hunting or slaying the undead. Lord Alzano Kavanto is a grey-haired former adventurer and warrior of great renown who became the ruler of Kariessen several years ago. The city’s status and wealth grew under his stewardship. He had lined up an advantageous marriage for his grown daughter when Krakova was invaded by Morgau and refugees flooded into Kariessen, throwing his well-ordered life into disarray. Motivation. A loyal vassal of the powerful Hirsh-Dammung family, Alzano’s main concern is what will happen to Kariessen if the vampires learn that the Court-in-Exile is hiding in the city. The fact that the ghouls are actively seeking the archduke alarms him—he wants Avgost out of Kariessen as soon as possible and is ready to allow the archduke to use the city’s gate to the fey roads to expedite this. Winning Favor. Nostalgic for his past, Alzano can be won over by tales of bravery and adventure, such as the gathering of the bodies of the fallen graveslayers with Brogan Bonebasher or the defeat of the ghouls in Zobeck. Development If the characters win the favor of any of the three members of the Court-in-Exile (Urzula, Avgost, or Zosia), that member insists the characters accompany Archduke Avgost on his trip to Jozht to ensure his safety. The Queen offers them 500 gp as a reward, if they agree to do so. Alzano offers the archduke and the characters the use of the city’s gate to the fey roads for the journey north. If the characters also manage to win Alzano’s favor, he gives them a cloak of elvenkind, hoping it hides at least one of them from unliving eyes. If the characters win the favor of two members of the Court, Zosia gives the characters a token to present at the Temple of the Shield Maiden in Jozht. The token is a leather-bound book entitled The Tree of Knowledge and has a snowdrop pressed between its pages. The characters can use it to gain an introduction to Sif ’s high priestess. If the characters win the favor of all three members of the Court, the Queen gives them a vial of sunlight (see page 272) to help protect them against undead assailants. If the characters fail to win the favor of any member of the Court, the characters are thanked for their time, but the Court-in-Exile claims to be too busy to help them. The Court advises the characters to make their own way to Jozht (without using the fey road) and ask at the Temple of the Shield Maiden for information on the knights and Holy Robes. The characters’ and the archduke’s paths cross again at the Stone Galleries (see page 89). The characters also run into the archduke at the Stone Galleries if they did not visit Kariessen or failed to gain an audience with the Court-in-Exile. It is also possible that the characters refuse to escort the archduke north for some reason. If this happens, the Queen sits in icy silence while Avgost responds angrily. An embarrassed Alzano ushers the characters out of the room. Each character loses 2 Status, and they must continue on to Jozht on their own, without Alzano’s or the Court’s aid.

88 NORTH TO JOZHT Archduke Avgost needs a few days before he is ready to leave for Jozht, giving the characters some time in the city to themselves. Use this time to showcase the devastation wrought by the undead of the Blood Kingdom of Morgau. Families have been torn apart by the onslaught of undead and work to rebuild themselves in the makeshift village outside the city. Kariessen’s orphanage is full of Krakovan children who were rescued from ruined villages or found, half-starved, by Dornitian patrols on the roads out of Krakovar. Queen Urzula often visits the populace outside the city when she is in Kariessen to bring food and hope to her devastated people. She is careful to remain disguised during these trips, aware of the ever-present danger of the undead. Though saddened at their losses, the hardy Krakovans stand tall and proud, certain their queen will find a way to raise an army to take back their homeland. When the archduke is ready to leave, his scout, Ivo (NG male elfmarked scout), gathers the characters. Along with Ivo and the characters, the archduke is accompanied by four personal guards—Albin, Hieron, Izaak, and Boydar (all NG male humans). It is nearly 500 miles from Kariessen to the Free City of Jozht, normally a journey of four weeks for a group attempting to move unnoticed. Using the fey road is dangerous but will allow the party to cover the first 290 miles, from Kariessen to the Stone Galleries near the edge of the Tomierran Forest, in just 2d4 days. Archduke Avgost is keen to get to Jozht as soon as possible and prefers to risk the fey road, but he defers to the characters (see The Fey Road). If the characters insist on traveling north without using the fey road or are journeying to Jozht alone, then following the edge of the Tomierran Forest and staying west of the border with the Blood Kingdom is the quickest and safest route. Use the Random Encounters on the Dornig-Krakovar Border table on page 84, devise your own encounters, or use a travel montage for the 16-day trip. Spending more than a few days with the arrogant archduke is likely to try the characters’ patience. He treats them like his personal servants, assigning them all manner of menial tasks and taking umbrage if they fail to show enthusiasm, much to Ivo’s amusement. The characters can make a good impression on Avgost, and gain better treatment from him, by asking him about Krakova. He clearly loves his homeland and hates the undead. He is also an excellent storyteller, vividly recounting stories of the Electoral Kingdom of Krakova and its fall (Midgard Worldbook, p. 91) with fiery passion. THE FEY ROAD The gate to Kariessen’s fey road lies in the grounds of House Kavanto’s castle, appearing as a nondescript green, wooden door in the wall of the outer bailey. Alzano explains that a person wanting to travel the road must turn around three times before pulling the door open. Although it is a sunny morning when the characters and the archduke set off on their journey, the door opens onto the gloom of twilight. Buzzing fireflies provide enough light to make out the ancient dirt road that lies ahead, wending its way through a dark forest. While fast, traveling along a fey road is unsettling and dangerous. As the characters follow the mysterious path, they occasionally hear strange sounds emitting from the dense trees to either side of the road. Although Avgost dismisses these noises as nothing to worry about, his guards are rattled, and the experienced Ivo is wary, insisting that no one leave the road, whatever happens. FEY ROAD ENCOUNTERS The characters experience at least one encounter as they travel on the fey road. Such an encounter might include the following: • A night hag gallops past, riding a creature that resembles an undead unicorn, a shadhavar (Tome of Beasts, p. 344). That night, everyone in the group has disturbing dreams. • A band of six shadow fey (Tome of Beasts, p. 171) led by a knight of the road (Creature Codex, p. 146) steps out of the trees and challenges the group in the name of the Queen of Night and Magic, asking them by whose right they travel the fey road. Ivo, if present, answers that the agreement between the Beloved Imperatrix and the shadow fey still stands and the group must be allowed to pass unmolested. After a tense silence, the shadow fey step aside and let the group pass. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) check recognizes that the Queen of Night and Magic is the leader of the shadow fey in the Shadow Realm and that the Beloved Imperatrix is the elven leader of Dornig. An elf, elfmarked, or shadow fey character has advantage on this check. If the characters interfere with violence, they risk damaging relations between the Queen of Night and Magic and the Beloved Imperatrix. Alternatively, a successful DC 15 Charisma (Performance or Persuasion) check breaks the tension or wins over the shadow fey, either convincing them to leave the group in peace or entertains them enough to share knowledge of

89 the road ahead. This knowledge reduces the length of their journey by half a day. If the characters resolve the issue without violence, award them XP as if they had defeated the shadow fey in combat. • A pair of hounds of the night (Tome of Beasts, p. 251) attack the group while they are camped. One hound attacks openly from one direction, while his mate uses dimension door to appear on the opposite side of the camp to drag off one of the archduke’s guards. • An elder shadow drake (Tome of Beasts, p. 153) turned bandit has arranged a bunch of animal bones on the road to spell out “Yr money or yr lif” and uses its Shadow Blend trait to surprise the group. The drake lets the group pass if they hand over at least 250 gp and a magic item; otherwise it attacks. It flees if reduced to half its hit points or fewer. Its lair is in a deep cave a few hundred yards from the road and holds a small hoard plundered from other travelers: 2,000 sp, 600 gp, a gold ring set with an amethyst (worth 125 gp), a silver comb (worth 50 gp), a potion of greater healing, a potion of water breathing, and a handy haversack. • The road narrows as it enters a tunnel. Five shadows appear through cracks in the walls of the tunnel and attack the group. THE STONE GALLERIES The Stone Galleries sit at the eastern edge of the Tomierran Forest. A thriving elven city centuries ago, its ruins are now a breeding ground for basilisks and cockatrices. Beneath the roofless shells of the ancient buildings and towers lies a network of underground passages controlled by medusa sorcerers. These tunnels connect to the Underworld and the Ghoul Imperium. Spies among the Krakovan exiles in Kariessen have passed on information of Archduke Avgost’s movements to Vukas Shroudson, and the spymaster has dispatched a squad of ghouls north. Florica Zoric, the squad’s leader, and her troops lurk at the end of the fey road in ambush. The archduke and his entourage reach the Stone Galleries when they emerge from the fey road. If they traveled north along the edge of the forest instead, they arrive at the ruins after 16 or so days of travel. Characters heading for Jozht by foot without the archduke can still arrive at the ruins in time to save the Krakovan noble from abduction by the ghouls. In this case, Avgost was unwilling to travel the fey road without a proper escort and set off along the fey road long after the characters left Kariessen, putting his arrival into the Stone Galleries around the same time as the characters’. Alternatively, if the characters traveled by a different route entirely, you can stage the abduction attempt on the archduke by the Ghoul Imperium in a suitable location of your own devising. As the characters approach the Stone Galleries, read the following: Ahead, the road passes beneath an archway formed by the intertwined branches of two great oak trees. The moss‑covered flagstones of an open plaza are illuminated by moonlight and dotted with stone statues. Although most are humanoid, the statues also include deer, a roaring owlbear, and, in the distance, a larger sculpture depicting a great winged beast. The remains of once-elegant elven buildings line the western and northern edges of the square, while thick vegetation grows to the east. A fountain, overgrown with ivy, stands in the middle of the space. Something on the ground by the fountain glints in the moonlight. 1. THE ROAD If the characters are traveling on the fey road, they leave it and return to Midgard when they pass under the intertwined branches of the two oaks. If they walk back under the trees in the other direction, they do not return to the fey road—magic is needed to reopen the pathway. Ahead, the remains of an elegant stone archway lead into the plaza. A statue of a deer with a startled expression stands close to the western half of the broken arch. 2. FOREST Trees and undergrowth line both sides of the road and the southern border of the plaza. Treat this area as lightly-obscured difficult terrain. A basilisk skulks in the foliage, emerging and attacking when the characters enter the plaza. 3. PLAZA Moss and weeds grow in the cracks between the flagstones. Over a dozen lifelike statues in poses of horror—victims of the petrifying monsters that live in the Stone Galleries— stand around the square. Most are human and elfmarked men and women, but two petrified ghouls stand near the overgrown canal (Area 4). Turned to stone by the basilisk, they were part of the group that is preparing to ambush the archduke’s group. A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check notices that, while most of the statues are weathered to some degree, the two ghouls look brand new.

90

91 A petrified owlbear stands next to the overgrown fountain, while a moss-covered stone wyvern rears up near the remains of a colonnade leading to the tower entrance. A small, silver hand mirror (worth 50 gp) lies on the ground near the fountain in easy view of any creature within 20 feet of the fountain. 4. CANAL BED The elves who lived in the ancient city built canals to get around and to connect with nearby rivers. The canals have long since dried up, and the canal on the plaza’s eastern border is filled with vegetation. The canal bed is 4 feet below the plaza, but the bushes and small trees growing in it are tall enough to provide cover for the four ghouls, led by Florica Zoric (LE female imperial ghoul [Tome of Beasts, p. 220]), who are lying in wait here. They strike at an opportune moment, likely when the characters are busy dealing with the basilisk, and attempt to drag the archduke into the undergrowth. They try not to meet the basilisk’s gaze but one or two ghouls may end up petrified while struggling with the archduke, at your discretion. If the abduction attempt is foiled, Florica attempts to flee through a hidden entrance in the canal, which leads to a network of tunnels below the ruined city. If captured, the imperial ghoul can be forced to talk with a successful DC 20 Charisma (Intimidation) check. She reveals the name of her master, Vukas Shroudson, and that her instructions are to capture the archduke, but little else. “A good soldier does not question their commander’s orders,” she says. A successful DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check can track the ghouls’ route through the tunnels to a passage that slopes steeply down to the Underworld. If the characters spend more than 1 hour wandering below ground, they run into a hooded medusa. She pulls back her hood and turns her gaze on the group. If the ghouls successfully abducted Avgost, they are assaulted by the medusa in the tunnels, giving the characters a chance to rescue the archduke. 5. TEMPLE Cracked stone steps lead up to the doors of this temple to Holda, elven goddess of the hearth and seasons. Her symbol, a tree bare on one side and in full leaf and flower on the other, is carved into the great wooden double doors which stand ajar. Inside, the once-beautiful dome has collapsed, and an elm tree grows where the altar once stood. A trio of stone statues of humans, one man and two women, kneel behind the tree, their faces expressing pure terror. A small flock of four territorial cockatrices lives here now and aggressively attacks intruders. A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check while searching the rubble of the temple finds a carved wooden scroll tube (worth 25 gp) holding two spell scrolls of greater restoration. 6. BANQUETING HALL This stone building has partly collapsed, but one stunning, stained-glass window depicting elves dancing and singing is miraculously still intact in the eastern wall. When a creature enters the building, it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is frightened for 1 minute as it is overwhelmed by the voices and images of centuries of feasts, weddings, funerals, balls, and other events hosted in this hall. On a success, the creature enjoys the echoes of past merriment that seem to pervade the hall and has advantage on its next ability check, attack roll, or saving throw made within the next 24 hours. 7. SWORDMAGE’S TOWER The top half of this tall, slender tower is missing, but it still stands over 80 feet tall. Its exterior is decorated with carvings of crescent moons and stars. The doorway is sealed with an arcane lock spell. If the characters can’t bypass the lock, they can climb up the tower to a small balcony 40 feet up with a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check. An arched window in the wall by the balcony leads inside. The lower floor of the tower is choked with rubble, but the second story, accessible by a curving stone staircase, is more or less intact. An open chest holds a bag of holding, a +1 moonsteel rapier (see page 265), and three potions of healing. Development There are hundreds more statues and dozens of ruined buildings, wide plazas, and dried-up canals beyond the area shown on the map. The characters are free to explore the rest of the ruins of the ancient city, but Archduke Avgost tells them there is no time for delays. He insists that they need to be on their way to Jozht. If the characters saved him from being dragged off by the ghouls, he begins to treat them with a newfound respect and tolerates an hour or so of exploring the ruins—if the characters want to explore—before insisting they head to Jozht. If the characters didn’t journey with him originally, he insists they travel together to Jozht from these ruins. If the characters failed to stop the abduction, the archduke emerges from the canal bed an hour after being abducted, having escaped his captors when the medusa caught them by surprise, and berates the characters for their ineptitude. Clearly, Perun is still smiling on Archduke Avgost…for now.

92 IN ENEMY TERRITORY The last leg of the journey from the Stone Galleries to the Free City of Jozht is over 190 miles. The trip takes the characters and the archduke through the northwestern part of vampire-controlled Krakovar before heading over the border into the reaver dwarf-held Wolfmark. The Province of Krakovar has been part of the Blood Kingdom of Morgau since it fell to the undead armies ten years ago. Under the iron rule of the vampire Princess Hristina, Protector and Duchess of Krakovar and Grand Marshal of the Ghost Knights, the former Electoral Kingdom has become a joyless place where fear holds the people in its grip. In the towns and villages, new shrines and temples have been established to the Red Goddess Marena, and blood flows freely on her altars. The trip through enemy territory is dangerous. Each day the characters are traveling through Krakovar, they must make a DC 12 Dexterity (Stealth), Wisdom (Survival), or Charisma (Deception) check (their choice). At least half the group (including Avgost and Ivo whose checks apply for the archduke’s whole entourage) must succeed on the check for the group to succeed. If the group uses the same check for multiple days, the DC increases by 1 for each day after the first that the group uses the same check, making a varied approach the easiest way to cross through enemy territory. A character with the Krakovan Rebel background (Midgard Heroes Handbook, p. 111) or the Red Winter Adherent background (Underworld Player’s Guide) has advantage on this check once every 1d4 days. If over half the group fails, roll a d12 and consult the Random Encounters in Krakovar table. Random Encounters in Krakovar d12 Day Encounter Night Encounter 1 2d4 Krakovan commoners who are suspicious of the group alert the local authorities (a Red Sister and 3 guards) to the group's presence unless dissuaded with a successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion) check. 2d6 zombies 2 The going is tough and the group only covers half the distance it should have that day. The archduke is recognized by a darakhul and 1d4 ghouls working for Vukas Shroudson. They attack, attempting to subdue Avgost and kill those with him. 3 Krakovan patrol consisting of 1 veteran and 8 guards question the group's reason for being in Krakovar. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check convinces the patrol to let the group pass unharmed. 1 necrophage ghast (Creature Codex, p. 175) and 1d4 zombies 4 The group encounters an obstacle, such as a fast-moving stream or steep cliff. At least half the group must succeed on a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check or lose a day circumventing the obstacle. 1d4 vampire thralls (Creature Codex, p. 368) with 1d6 wolves 5 1 Red Sister and 6 cultists 1d6 Krakovan spies loyal to Princess Hristina 6 2d4 antelope (use deer stats) 1d4 + 1 ghouls 7 2d6 wolves or 1d6 dire wolves 2d6 wolves or 1d6 dire wolves 8 1d2 ankhegs 1d2 lich hounds (Tome of Beasts, p. 274) 9 1d4 + 2 harpies 1 wolf spirit swarm (Tome of Beasts, p. 377) 10 1 bulette or 1 wyvern 1 vampire spawn or 1 ghost knight (Tome of Beasts, p. 423) 11 Ominous event – a corpse rotting in a gibbet; creepy corn dollies hanging in the branches of a tree; a freshly dug grave by the side of the road. Ominous event – an owl shrieks; a wolf howls; a skeletal rider thunders past; something stirs. 12 Sympathetic locals spot the characters and offer assistance, sheltering the group for the night and suggesting a safe route onward. The group can travel the next day without having to make an ability check. A group of Krakovan rebels recognize the archduke and offer assistance, sheltering the group for the night and escorting them out of town the following day. The group can travel safely that day without having to make an ability check.

93 Stealth. A group using Stealth to move through Krakovar attempts to sneak past the towns, villages, and fields without being spotted by the locals or the nightly undead patrols. The group travels at a slow pace. Survival. A group using Survival to move through Krakovar attempts to stick to the wilderness and back country, steering clear of civilization as much as possible. Roll a die. On an even result, the group travels at a slow pace through dense scrubland and steep hills that day. On an odd result, the group travels at a normal pace that day. Deception. A group using Deception to move through Krakovar attempts to hide in plain sight by traveling openly through the towns and villages posing as merchants or craftspeople. The group travels at a normal pace. If every member of the group succeeded on the Charisma (Deception) check, the group instead travels at a fast pace that day. A group using deception within 30 miles of the Wolfmark border has disadvantage on the check. The Free City of Jozht Jozht, City of Fish, lies on the northwest coast, approximately 20 miles north of the border with the Province of Krakovar. Once a rather humdrum fishing town accustomed to defending itself from raiding reaver dwarves, Jozht sought the aid of its former enemies when the undead invaded. It is now part of the Wolfmark and is Jarl Skuti the Whelp’s (LN male reaver dwarf) fledgling kingdom on the southern side of the Nieder Strait. Jozht straddles the River Proslowka estuary, and its people take pride in its well-maintained harbor. Small boats constantly ferry people, livestock, and goods between the two halves of the city. A series of brick towers and newly reinforced walls keep the city safe. Constructed on Skuti’s orders, impressive star-shaped, stepped structures now ring the earthen wall that surrounded the city before Skuti’s arrival. The smaller, western section of the city is dominated by shipyards, residences, and craftsfolk. It is home to one of the city’s “dwarf-towns”—rowdy districts where Jozht’s 3,000 reaver dwarves drink, brawl, and sleep it off—and the large new temple to Thor that serves the reavers and sailors. The larger, eastern section of the city houses the well-fortified Town Hall, which stands on a wide central square. To the south lies the busy Godsmarket, a large open-air market surrounded by temples to Wotan, Perun, and Yarila and Porevit. The Temple of the Shield Maiden, the temple to Sif the characters are seeking, lies to the north and is in the process of being fortified. Two more boisterous dwarf-towns are located on this side of the estuary, one in the southwest corner and one in the northeast. Two city gates lead into Jozht. The Temple Gate stands in the southern wall at the end of the Morgau Road, and the Forest Gate sits in the western wall at the end of Thorn’s Road. The characters are most likely to enter via the Forest Gate from the west. If so, they must secure a ferry to cross the estuary to the eastern half of the city. The standard ferry charges 1 cp per person and allows up to 12 Small or Medium creatures at a time. The larger ferry, which handles horses, wagons, and carts of trade goods, charges 1 sp per vehicle, which includes up to two horses. Once inside the eastern half of the city, the archduke insists on staying at one of his old haunts, a grandiose inn called the Uncommon Porpoise, which has seen better days. As soon as he has settled into the inn’s biggest guest room, Avgost sends a message to inform Jarl Skuti and the mayor of Jozht of his arrival. If any of the characters made a good impression on Avgost, such as by conversing with him about the history of Krakova or by making a particularly impressive effort to save or rescue him from the ghouls, the archduke invites the character (or characters) to dinner that evening at a nearby tavern as a thank you for the good company on the trip or for the rescue. The following day, the characters are expected to escort the archduke to the Town Hall for the first of many long, tedious meetings, then their duties to him are complete. Over the following days, the archduke’s meetings concern a potential alliance between the reaver dwarves and the Court-in-Exile, where the dwarves discuss giving their aid in exchange for formal recognition of the Barony of Wolfmark once Krakova is reinstated. Unfortunately, if the group did not travel by the fey road, the archduke’s tardy arrival has meant Jarl Skuti has gone back to Skogarholm, and the negotiations cannot begin until he returns, much to Avgost’s annoyance. With their responsibilities to the archduke discharged and their promised reward paid in full, the characters are free to head to the temple of Sif to seek information on where to find the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind. THE TEMPLE OF THE SHIELD MAIDEN The characters find Sif ’s temple in the process of being turned into a fortress. A stone wall complete with crenellated battlements and four stone towers is under construction around the great, wooden temple. Two female acolytes in bronze breastplates, armed with bows and axes, and bearing round shields on their backs stand guard at the open wooden gates. Dwarves and female characters are admitted with a respectful nod, but non-dwarf male characters are politely but firmly asked to state their business before being allowed in.

94

95 Inside the courtyard, the sounds of battle ring out as Sif ’s (largely female) priests hone their fighting skills with axes and swords and pepper straw targets with arrows. Any characters openly carrying weapons are challenged to single combat by a member of the clergy. These warlike shield maidens use the statistics of a berserker. Bouts are to first blood or to first down, and it doesn’t matter if the characters win or lose, as long as they fight. If any characters refuse, they are ignored by the priests for the remainder of their visit to the temple. Those who prove their worth by participating in single combat are permitted to enter the temple proper and speak with Jagoda Mazurek (NG female human), the high priestess. The ceiling of the main temple building resembles the upturned hull of a great wooden longship. Jagoda Mazurek greets the characters at the altar, a simple, stone slab that stands beneath a bound sheaf of giant-sized arrows, which hang from the ceiling by glittering, bronze chains. Jagoda is middle-aged and muscular. Her dark hair is streaked with grey and hangs in braids tied with yellow ribbons. She wears a gleaming, silver breastplate and a cloak of winter wolf fur. Depending on how impressively the characters demonstrated their fighting skills in the courtyard, Jagoda either commends them for their martial prowess or recommends further practice. She soon cuts to the chase, though, and asks them why they have come to the temple. If they explain their quest for the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind and can present the Tree of Knowledge, the leather-bound book given to them by Zosia Walerska, Jagoda readily tells them what she knows. If they don’t have the book, the characters must convince the high priestess they are trustworthy with a successful DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the characters share stories of saving the archduke from abduction by the ghouls, of helping Brogan Bonebasher recover the bodies of his fallen comrades, or of other battles with the undead such as the fight against the ghouls in Zobeck, the characters have advantage on the check or might not need to make a check at all, at your discretion. If Jagoda feels she can trust the characters, she tells them the order of knights they are seeking are known as the Spear Maidens of Hope, who use the snowdrop as their symbol. Inspired by Sister Adelind’s bravery, these knights wander Krakovar and battle the undead whenever they can. If anyone knows the fate of the Holy Robes, it would be them. She suggests the characters travel to Yarosbirg, the site of Sister Adelind’s martyrdom, without delay—the anniversary of Sister Adelind’s death is just a few weeks away and such an auspicious day is sure to draw at least a few Spear Maidens. She believes this day is the best chance the characters have of finding members of the wandering order. A powerful priestess of Sif, Jagoda provides healing to any characters that need it, though she strongly encourages donations if the characters require spells with expensive components, such as greater restoration or raise dead. Ruins of Yarosbirg Whatever route they choose, the characters face a trip of several hundred miles through vampire-controlled Krakovar to reach Yarosbirg. Although the journey is still dangerous, without the archduke to protect and hide there is less need for the group to avoid major roads and the larger towns and cities. In spite of being in the grip of vampires, innkeepers and merchants still appreciate a traveler’s coin and won’t turn away the characters. However, innkeepers and merchants may report the characters to the Red Sisters or local guards if the characters are particularly rowdy. One possible route from Jozht to Yarosbirg begins by traveling south down the Morgau Road to Wallenbirg, City of Pines, which is ruled by Count Warin, a sadistic vampire lord who enjoys hunting peasants in the nearby Tomierran Forest for sport. They can then head east to the much larger city of Varshava, once famed for its fine horses. Here, a huge Blood Cathedral to Marena is under construction on the site of the World Tree Temple to Wotan, which was razed to the ground by the darakhul when Krakova fell. Fanatical priestesses of the Red Goddess are everywhere in Varshava, and those found guilty of even the most petty of crimes end up with their blood soaking the stones that are being used to build the cathedral. Alternatively, the characters can travel southeast crosscountry from Jozht until they reach one of the trading villages along the banks of the River Yoshtula. From here, they can travel downriver on a barge as far as Varshava, before making the last leg of the journey on foot. If the characters ask Jagoda for guidance on getting to Yarosbirg, she suggests sticking to the smaller towns. If they have the book from Zosia, Jagoda says it might help them get shelter in some of the smaller villages in Krakovar. The Spear Maidens of Hope are well-known in Krakovar and are a beacon to many people. The book with its snowdrop

96 is a hidden symbol among Sif ’s faithful in Krakovar, and Jagoda believes it might earn the characters safe shelter for a night or two if they are respectful to the locals. She warns the characters to be careful when using the book as a symbol, though, as those loyal to the vampires might betray the characters or report their activities to the Red Sisters. Whichever way they go, the characters pass through wretched communities suffering under the oppressive rule of the vampires, the Red Sisters, and what remains of the cowardly collaborators of the Slahta, who run the government on behalf of their undead masters in a desperate attempt to cling to hereditary power. At almost every crossroads, some poor soul hangs in an iron gibbet with its eyes pecked out by ravens and a wooden plaque reading “traitor” or “heretic” around its neck. Use the Random Encounters in Krakovar table on page 92 to enliven the journey to Yarosbirg. If Dejana Fleshhound (see Ghoulish Stalker on page 84) survived, she could make a reappearance during the trip. EXPLORING THE RUINS An overgrown roadway leads steeply up to the craggy peak from which the mighty fortress of Yarosbirg once surveyed the surrounding territory. In the days of the Electoral Kingdom, Yarosbirg was third among Krakova’s great castles. Today it is a brooding ruin, its silhouette broken and pitiful. Unless the characters tarry excessively while traveling through Krakovar, they reach Yarosbirg with a few days to spare, giving them time to explore the ruined castle before the Spear Maidens of Hope are due to arrive. The key areas of the ruins are described below. 1. THE ROAD A steep, paved road climbs up the hill from the main road between Vallanoria and Krakova to the castle’s gatehouse. Worn and uneven, it is overgrown with weeds, tall grass, and moss. 2. GATEHOUSE Little remains of the once-formidable gatehouse to Yarosbirg Castle. The great, ironbound doors lie rusting in the tall grass, and only the eastern part of the walls remains standing. In the ruins of the gatehouse, four young girls dressed in filthy rags hold hands and skip in a circle, reciting nonsensical children’s rhymes. Unless the characters approach quietly, the girls notice them and run away through a gap in the collapsed wall to the west. The girls are four mylings (Tome of Beasts, p. 301) who died in the castle when it fell to the Ghost Knights and darakhul. Denied a proper burial, they became undead. The mylings want the characters to grant them their long-awaited final rest and try to lure the characters outside to their chosen burial plots in the Outer Bailey (Area 6). Unfortunately, being buried alive along with the mylings is the reward that awaits the characters if they try to help the girls. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check within 30 feet of the girls notices their unnatural blue-tinged skin and dead eyes. 3. CASTLE INTERIOR Beyond the gatehouse to the north, a large open area is strewn with broken chunks of masonry and other debris, and long grasses and tall weeds grow amid the rubble. The remnants of two towers stand in the southwestern and southeastern corners, and a huge mound of rubble covered in grass rises to the northeast. If the characters study the area, they can work out where the interior walls of the keep once stood, but spending much time here is likely to draw the attention of the hungry manticore in the southeastern tower. Southwest Tower. Only the bottom 15 feet of this tower remains, its interior choked with debris. The rubble at the base of the tower is filled with plenty of bones, rusty sword blades, and bits of dented armor dating back to the castle’s fall. A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check unearths a brass circlet set with a single fire opal (a circlet of blasting). Southeast Tower. An aggressive manticore lives in the surviving shell of this tower. It craves human flesh and attacks creatures that venture into the castle interior as soon as it becomes aware of their presence. It is afraid of the unnatural mylings and avoids them, if possible. Among the debris and bones in its lair is the treasure it has accumulated: 178 gp, a bright red garnet (worth 100 gp), a heavy black cloak lined with red silk (worth 75 gp), two potions of healing, and a spell scroll of lesser restoration. 4. BARRACKS Still partly intact, this section of the castle was once the barracks of the Order of the Spear, the holy warriors of Sif of which Sister Adelind was a member. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check determines that a small group of individuals camped here several weeks ago. Someone has also painted Sif ’s symbol, a bundle of arrows, on one of the walls. Worshippers of Midgard’s Northern Gods (Midgard Worldbook, p. 349) regain an extra 1d6 hit points when spending Hit Dice here during a short rest. Those spending the night here regain 1 extra spent Hit Dice after finishing a long rest.

97

98 5. MONASTERY RUINS When Yarosbirg fell to the Ghost Knights, their commander, Grand Marshal Hristina, ordered the castle razed in tribute to her cousin Otmar who was slain by Sister Adelind. What was once a monastery is now a massive mound of rubble, over 40 feet high, carpeted with grass and dotted with hundreds of bright white flowers, living symbols of the martyred Adelind. If the characters climb to the top of the mound, they find several scattered pieces of a stone tablet, each bearing part of an inscription. The pieces can be reassembled to reveal the original epitaph, written in Darakhul, beneath the crest of the Province of Krakovar: “Here lies Otmar the Sallow, Shroud-Eater and Lord of Bruvik. May he sleep the peaceful sleep of the damned for all eternity.” A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds tiny, wooden spears hidden in the grass near the broken tombstone slabs—tributes to Sister Adelind from the Spear Maidens of Hope over the years since her death. 6. OUTER BAILEY Still ringed by the original 20-foot tall castle walls, the outer bailey is a large open space, overgrown with gorse bushes, tall grass, and wild flowers. This is where the mylings in Area 2 hope to be buried. If not encountered in the gatehouse, they can be found here. The 40-foot tower in the southwest corner is still more or less intact and currently unoccupied. A spiral staircase inside it leads to a flat roof, which offers an excellent view over the road leading up to the gatehouse. THE SPEAR MAIDENS OF HOPE When the day marking the anniversary of Sister Adelind’s death arrives, characters keeping watch from the top of the mound or the tower in Area 6 spots two figures heading cross-country toward the hill late in the afternoon. As the figures approach, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check determines they are lightly built, armored humanoids, carrying spears. Rather than heading up the road, the figures instead skirt around the eastern side of the hill and climb up toward the eastern tower. Scrambling over the rocks, they clamber over the broken wall and emerge close to the foot of the mound, if not challenged by the characters. Sister Olga and Sister Dorotka are Spear Maidens of Hope (use the statistics of a war chaplain [Creature Codex, p. 410], except the Spear Maidens are immune to disease and use a spear in place of a longsword). The two have come to Yarosbirg to pay their respects to Sister Adelind and have brought bunches of white flowers and hand-carved wooden spears as offerings. Sister Olga (LN female human) is tall, blond, and full of grim determination. Sister Dorotka (LG female human) is redhaired, short, and has a very dry sense of humor. The two Sisters are surprised to find the ruins occupied and assume the characters are hostile until convinced otherwise. A successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces the Spear Maidens that the characters are not allied with the undead of Krakovar. A character with the Krakovan Rebel or Red Winter Adherent background or a character that shows the Sisters proof of his or her opposition to the undead (such as the story of aiding Brogan Bonebasher, the story of stopping the undead in Zobeck, presenting a holy symbol of a Northern God, or some other proof at your discretion) has advantage on the check. Once convinced, the Spear Maidens lower their spears, but they insist on making their offerings to Sister Adelind before engaging in conversation. The two climb the mound (Area 5), lay down their offerings, and begin praying as night falls.

99 UNWELCOME GUESTS The Sisters’ prayers are soon interrupted, however. If the characters still have someone keeping watch, a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notices armed warriors leading their horses quietly up the road to the castle gatehouse. If not, there is a chance the group is surprised when the Ghost Knights of Marena charge through the gatehouse and attack those inside Yarosbirg Castle. The warriors are led by Captain-of-Arms Romek Mazur (LE male ghost knight [Tome of Beasts, p. 423]) clad in black half plate armor and mounted on an undead warhorse (use the statistics of a warhorse skeleton). He commands a group of five Ghost Knight conscripts (use the statistics of a guard) dressed in red tabards bearing a white skull. The conscripts are armed with lances and longswords, and they are mounted on pale, emaciated riding horses. Romek Mazur and his men belong to the Order of the Knights Incorporeal and are based at Orzelbirg Castle, a small fort northeast of Yarosbirg. Romek’s commander, General-at-Arms Fraszko Grimslade, has been closely watching the activity of the Spear Maidens of Hope, and his spies picked up on the order’s tendency to visit Yarosbirg on the anniversary of their saint’s death. After capturing several members of their order, he suspected the escaping Spear Maidens might flee to the ruin to uphold this tradition and sent Romek to Yarosbirg to capture or kill them. Mazur fights fanatically, impaling his foes on his lance before trampling them under his mount’s hooves. His conscripted troops are much less committed and flee if their leader falls. One of the men, a skinny fellow named Kasper (CG male human guard), has been hoping to escape the Ghost Knights for some time and switches sides as soon as he feels the tide is turning, shouting “for Queen Urzula!” as he plunges his sword into his captain’s back. Development Once the battle is over, the characters have the opportunity to talk to the Sisters without further interruption. The Spear Maidens explain that they came to this holy spot on this auspicious day to pray for guidance from Sister Adelind and from Sif. Some of their comrades in the order have been captured by the Ghost Knights of Morgau and are being held at the fortress of Orzelbirg about 30 miles away. Worse still, the precious holy relic they were safeguarding has fallen into the hands of the enemy. The captured relic is the Holy Robes of Sister Adelind. The Spear Maidens ask the characters to help them recover the Holy Robes and rescue their Sisters from the clutches of the undead. If the rebellious conscript Kasper survived, he volunteers a piece of very useful information in an attempt to curry favor with the characters. The late, lamented Lord Dobrogost of Orzelbirg, whom Kasper served before being forced to join the Ghost Knights, was rumored to have had a secret escape route built from the castle to a cave some distance from the outer walls. The lord disappeared when Orzelbirg fell to the undead, and Kasper believes Dobrogost made use of it. Perhaps the escape route could provide a way into the fortress? Kasper can also provide some general information about the castle’s layout and its inhabitants, at your discretion, which should prove helpful to the group as they prepare to rescue the captured Spear Maidens. The Dread Fortress Following the conquest of the Electoral Kingdom, Princess Hristina set about consolidating vampire rule over Krakovar. In addition to building temples to the Red Goddess Marena, the princess ordered the creation of new commanderies of the Ghost Knights throughout the province. The impressive castles at Heiderbirg and Tannenbirg were repaired and both now serve as bases for the Order of the Knights Incorporeal (Ghost Knights), while smaller fortresses belonging to recalcitrant members of the Slahta were seized and repurposed as commanderies. One such fortress is Orzelbirg Castle, located northeast of Yarosbirg at the point where the road between Vallanoria and Krakova crosses the River Runnel. Home to the Dobrogost noble family for more than a century, the fortress was taken by the undead armies and is now a commandery of the Order of the Knights Incorporeal under the control of Fraszko Grimslade, General-at-Arms. General Grimslade was a personal favorite of Grand Marshal Hristina and rose rapidly through the ranks of the Ghost Knights. Unfortunately for him, when the conquest was over and Hristina became Duchess of Krakovar, she appointed his arch-rival Ciobanu as Commander of the Ghost Knights stationed in the newly formed province. Grimslade was assigned the small and unprestigious fortress of Orzelbirg, close to the ruins of Yarosbirg, as his commandery. Resentful of his current lowly status, Grimslade is determined to win back the Grand Marshal’s favor by wiping out the Spear Maidens of Hope, who have been a thorn in Hristina’s side for the past ten years. But Grimslade doesn’t want to create more martyrs like Sister Adelind. Instead, he plans to corrupt the knights of Sif by capturing them and transforming them into Ghost Knights. To this end, he has purchased a powerful elixir from a gnomish merchant of Niemheim, named Chapman Bogun. This foul brew, said to contain water from the River Styx among its rare ingredients, removes the divine blessing